The Indianapolis Colts benched former first-round pick Anthony Richardson after just 10 NFL starts, and the team could trade him following the season. Coming out of college as a raw prospect with insane physical gifts, most believed the Florida product needed time to reach his ceiling. Much like Josh Allen, draft analysts across the league believed that he’d need a couple of years to polish his game to become an elite quarterback.
Head coach Shane Steichen, however, has seen enough and decided that Anthony Richardson is more like Trey Lance than Josh Allen. The 4-4 Colts are moving forward with veteran Joe Flacco, as the organization decided that the short-term needs of the roster outweighed Richardson’s long-term potential. It’s hard to envision Indianapolis ever giving the keys back to the former first-round pick, and the team could swap first-round busts with the Carolina Panthers. It won’t happen now, but don’t be surprised if the Colts trade Anthony Richardson for Bryce Young in the offseason.
A QB change for the Colts: Indianapolis is benching former first-round pick Anthony Richardson and turning to veteran Joe Flacco, sources tell @FowlerESPN and me. Coaches met this morning and made the seismic organizational decision to change QBs. pic.twitter.com/uqANJwOwr4
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 29, 2024
Colts, Panthers Could Trade Anthony Richardson For Bryce Young
Joe Flacco is the Colts quarterback of the present, but the one-time Super Bowl champion is not the future of the franchise. Set to turn 40 in January, the former first-round pick is a fine short-term bridge quarterback but cannot provide the Colts with any sort of future. Ironically enough, Flacco’s presence could prevent Indianapolis from landing their next potential franchise passer. At 4-4, the Colts are in the thick of the playoff race and could easily earn a Wild Card spot with the veteran under center. This is great for the short term, but it means the Colts probably won’t be able to draft a top quarterback in the 2025 NFL Draft.
While Anthony Richardson can no longer help the team on the field, he could help with a trade. Getting benched after 10 games will dramatically decrease Richardson’s value, but there have to be a few teams that still believe in his potential. After all, nobody thought he’d be a Week 1 All-Pro, and his lack of experience means that some coaching staff might believe he can still reach his immense ceiling. While nobody will give up an early or mid-round selection for him, the Carolina Panthers might be willing to trade Bryce Young.
Panthers Trying Again
After two seasons, the Bryce Young Era is unofficially over. While he will start in place of the injured Andy Dalton, it’s safe to assume the Panthers don’t have him in their long-term plans. First-year head coach Dave Canales benched him after just two games, and he hasn’t done anything to prove the former Buccaneers offensive coordinator wrong. Perhaps he doesn’t have what it takes to succeed in the NFL, or perhaps the Panthers are just a bad fit.
With no clear path to a franchise quarterback, the Colts must decide between an overpriced short-term veteran or making a low-risk, high-reward investment in Bryce Young. Perhaps the team could trade Anthony Richardson for Bryce Young, re-sign Flacco, and see who comes out on top in 2025. Flacco can provide some security at the position while Young tries to find the skills that made him the first-overall pick.
The only red flag here is the 2025 NFL Draft class itself. While the Colts probably won’t end up with a top-10 pick, Carolina is on a collision course with the first-overall selection. While there are plenty of bad teams in the NFL, the Panthers should finish with one of the league’s worst records. If they fall in love with someone like Alabama’s Jalen Milroe or Miami’s Cam Ward, then they won’t want to trade for Anthony Richardson. However, if they believe that the 2025 draft class does not have a franchise quarterback, then perhaps they’ll kick the tires on the former fourth-overall pick.
Main Photo: Troy Taormina – USA Today Sports
