With Daniel Jones looking more and more like the real deal with every start, the Indianapolis Colts could consider an Anthony Richardson trade. Selected in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft, the Florida product was considered a high-risk, high-reward prospect who would need some time to develop his ridiculous athletic gifts.
Unfortunately, a combination of injuries and poor performance led to him losing his job after just 15 starts. While his time with the Colts didn’t work out, he might have better luck with a different organization, much like Baker Mayfield or Sam Darnold.
According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano, Anthony Richardson is “open” to a trade, and “a couple of teams” inquired about the quarterback’s availability when Jones first won the starting job. While Indianapolis rejected those offers at the time, they could re-engage now that Jones has firmly established himself as a winning quarterback with this organization.
Colts Anthony Richardson “Open” To Trade, Multiple Teams Interested
Possible Fits
Los Angeles Rams
Matthew Stafford is the quarterback of the present in Los Angeles, and the one-time Super Bowl champion still has one of the best arms in the league. However, he’s not immortal, and the 2009 first-overall pick isn’t getting younger. Stafford has openly contemplated retirement on multiple occasions and missed a decent chunk of the offseason with a back injury. This could be the final year of his career, and the Rams do not have a young backup ready to take the reins. An Anthony Richardson trade is admittedly risky, but head coach Sean McVay is one of the best in the league at scheming to his quarterback’s strengths.
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers have effectively been stuck in quarterback purgatory ever since Ben Roethlisberger injured his arm early in the 2019 season. The team is too talented to land a top-10 pick, but not talented enough to compete for a title. With no plausible way to land a top rookie, the team could trade for Anthony Richardson and see if they can refine his skills. Aaron Rodgers is nothing more than a one-year stopgap, and despite the 3-1 record, the four-time NFL MVP hasn’t looked particularly great this season. Richardson might not work out in Pittsburgh, but he offers this team more upside than any quarterback they’ve had since Roethlisberger.
Carolina Panthers
Bryce Young looks less and less like a franchise quarterback with every passing week. While the 2023 first-overall pick admittedly isn’t working with a great supporting cast, he’s not elevating the offense. Head coach Dave Canales likely needs the offense to show some signs of life if he wants to keep his job, and an Anthony Richardson trade could be his last-ditch effort if Young continues to stagnate. While the team has a solid backup in Andy Dalton, he’s too old to be the future of the franchise. Richardson probably won’t develop into a franchise quarterback, but it’s not completely out of the realm of possibility.
Main Photo: Andrew Nelles – Imagn Images
