With some trade speculation surrounding Anthony Richardson, the Indianapolis Colts star is dealing with a concerning injury. Ahead of Sunday’s game against the Arizona Cardinals, reports suggested the backup quarterback suffered an injury during warmups.
NFL Insider Ian Rapoport shared details that the Colts QB wouldn’t be a “healthy scratch” for the game due to the injury being legitimate. According to an update from Rapoport, Richardson suffered an eye injury while doing band work during warmups.
Richardson is the team’s third-in-line quarterback, and they’ve already come out of the gates hot thanks to starter Daniel Jones. Some have even tabbed Jones as a frontrunner for the Most Valuable Player award.
However, reports have suggested recent chatter about the potential to trade Richardson to another squad and add more personnel to the Colts roster.
Richardson was the Colts' top pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, as they selected him fourth overall. However, he's now stuck in line awaiting an opportunity with Indianapolis.
Earlier this month, ESPN's Dan Graziano indicated that several teams were interested in knowing if Richardson might be available during free agency. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler suggested Richardson was “open” to the idea of a trade.
However, in another ESPN report in August, Colts general manager Chris Ballard denied that the team would be open to trading him.
As of this report, there are no indications of any active trade discussions between the Colts and other teams. However, the chatter suggests that something could develop with Richardson, and another team in need might opt to give him a starting role.
He gained some experience as a starter last season, playing in 11 games and achieving a 6-5 record. He compiled 1,814 yards and eight touchdowns on 126-of-264 completed passes.
However, it's tough to ignore the success that Jones has brought thus far in the season. Jones is on pace to easily eclipse Richardson's 2024 stats if he remains healthy. Heading into Sunday’s game, the former Giants QB has completed 107-of-150 pass attempts and thrown for 1,290 yards and six touchdowns.
On Sunday afternoon, the team will look to extend its hot start to 5-1 as they host the Arizona Cardinals without their starting QB, Kyler Murray.
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