Kevin O'Connell, Minnesota Vikings
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(Photo by Brace Hemmelgarn/Getty Images)
The Minnesota Vikings did just about everything wrong at the quarterback position last season, which resulted in the firing of former GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, but head coach Kevin O’Connell now has a chance to try and right the ship by trading for a player for whom he has shown an affinity in the past.
Adam Schefter of ESPN reposted Thursday, February 26 a report from his colleague Stephen Holder that the Indianapolis Colts have granted permission to quarterback Anthony Richardson, formerly the No. 4 overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft, to hunt a trade elsewhere.
“The Indianapolis Colts have given QB Anthony Richardson permission to seek a trade given his uncertain future in Indy, per ESPN’s @stephen_holder,” Schefter wrote on Instagram.
Kevin O’Connell Believes in Anthony Richardson as Starting NFL QB
Anthony Richardson
GettyIndianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson.
Somewhat ironically, Richardson lost his starting job during a preseason battle with Daniel Jones last spring/summer after Minnesota failed to bring Jones back into the fold.
The Vikings picked Jones up in mid-season 2024 following the New York Giants‘ decision to release him. He never played a regular-season snap for Minnesota but was a potential successor to Sam Darnold/competition for JJ McCarthy before Adofo-Mensah allowed both Jones and Darnold to leave in free agency.
O’Connell has been public about his intention to seek real competition for McCarthy with regards to the QB1 spot heading into the 2026 campaign, and Richardson is a player in whom O’Connell has also expressed confidence and admiration.
The Colts benched Richardson for a stretch during 2024 in favor of veteran Joe Flacco, which included a game against the Vikings. O’Connell made a point to find Richardson on the field and offered him a personal message of belief and encouragement.
“Hey, do me a favor and remember something,” O’Connell said. “You’re a bad dude. And you’re gonna play a long time in this league. Alright? Go to work every day, good things will happen for you. I still believe in you.”
Vikings Can Afford to Trade for Anthony Richardson, Sign Veteran QB
Anthony Richardson Future
GettyIndianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson.
Richardson has one year remaining on his $34 million rookie contract plus a fifth-year team option worth $23 million that whatever franchise holds his rights can exercise by May 1.
He has battled injuries and fought through what was a lack of starting experience incollege, where he appeared in only 24 games total and started just over half of them.
Richardson is 8-7 as a starter with the Colts across 17 games played. He has completed a paltry 50.6 percent of his passes for 2,400 yards, 11 TDs and 13 INTs while rushing the football for 634 yards and 10 scores.
He will play next season at just 24 years old and earned a top-five draft position based on his high-end athletic potential, which includes elite arm strength and an elite ability as a runner from the position.
Richardson fits the mold of a classic rehabilitation project at quarterback, profiling as a player who needs a change of scenery and change of coach to develop him and put him in position to grow in his experience and confidence.
Given Richardson’s relative affordability — which includes a $1.15 million base salary and a $4.25 million roster bonus this spring, as well as likely a mid-round draft pick in a trade package — he represents the kind of minimal-risk, high-upside swing that a salary cap-strapped team in Minnesota might look for in its current circumstances.
Beyond that, trading for Richardson and declining his fifth-year option would not preclude the Vikings in any way from inking a veteran like Kirk Cousins, Aaron Rodgers or Geno Smith to a one-year deal and allowing one of those players to compete with Richardson and McCarthy for the starting job while simultaneously providing some much-needed mentorship for both players.