Vikings get: QB Anthony Richardson Sr., 2026 fifth-round pick
Colts get: 2026 third-round pick, 2027 sixth-round pick (can become a conditional fifth
“. . . What about Richardson, the fourth overall pick from 2023 who never panned out for the Colts? Richardson is currently on IR with a fractured orbital bone courtesy of a fluke pregame warmup injury featuring a wayward resistance band, and he has missed plenty of time in his career with injuries. He brings a similar availability concern to that of McCarthy, and the O’Connell offense -- which has almost exclusively featured pocket passers -- would need to be catered to his skill set.
But O’Connell is, presumably, a Richardson believer. Remember his words to Richardson following a Week 9 game in Minnesota:
The price (a third-round pick) might look big. But Trey Lance was moved for a fourth-round pick two years into his career, and Richardson has been better and played more at a similar career stage. Plus, there’s a fifth-rounder going back.
I don’t think Richardson would walk in and immediately start (the Flacco, as we call it). But if McCarthy continues to struggle getting his ankle back to health, then Richardson would get a crack at the starting gig after a week or two of learning the offense. If McCarthy gets back in time, Richardson gives Minnesota another young dart throw at a position where it must hit on a cost-controlled player to keep the rest of the roster paid.
I don’t know how bright of a future Richardson has in the league. If he is to find one, it’s hard to imagine a better place to rebound than in Minnesota under O’Connell. As evidenced by quarterbacks across the league, almost anything is possible in the right new home.