Anthony Richardson Trade
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Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson has thrown for 2,400 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions while rushing for an additional 634 yards and 10 touchdowns across 17 career games played.
It appears as though the water finally boiled over for Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson. Less than a few days after general manager Chris Ballard stated that he didn’t believe that the former top-5 draft pick needed a “complete fresh start”, the team now looks to be ready to turn the page. NFL Network’sCameron Wolfe reported Thursday that the Colts and Richardson have mutually agreed to let him seek a trade.
While this is an unsurprising outcome in retrospect, there was buzz about Richardson potentially remaining with the team, as Ballard, in particular, has preached his belief in him. This could have just been a ploy to increase his value in a potential trade. It could also be Ballard trying to save a bit of face with his decision to use a high first-round pick on him in the2023 NFL Draft.However, this decision could also be a result of the team’s confidence in their 2025sixth-round pick, quarterback Riley Leonard.
Riley Leonard’s Week 18 Performance Provided a Glimpse of His Potential
RIley Leonard Texans
GettyIndianapolis Colts quarterback Riley Leonard posted an 84.2 offensive score according to Pro Football Focus against the Houston Texans in Week 18.
Leonard burst on the scene inWeek 18 of last year, throwing for 270 yards andscoring three total touchdowns against the vaunted Houston Texans defense. While he did face their backups for the majority of the second half, much of his passing success came against the starters. Leonard displayed poise, play-making ability, and excitement that the team honestly hadn’t seen since Richardson’s initialfour-game stretch in his rookie year. However, unlike Richardson, Leonard displayed a consistent ability to hit more than just the big play.
Riley Leonard College
GettyRiley Leonard completed 66.7 percent of his passes for 2,861 yards with 21 touchdowns and eight interceptions in his final year at Notre Dame.
As a prospect, Leonard is a bit of a blend between both of the Colts’ other quarterbacks. While not quite as big as the 6’4’’ 240-pound Richardson, at 6’3’’ and 216 pounds, Leonard has displayed a similar rushing ability. In his final year at the University of Notre Dame, Leonard rushed for 906 yards and 17 touchdowns. His arm talent is more similar to Daniel Jones, where he’s more comfortable with intermediate throws. However, he did display in Week 18 that he can certainly uncork thedeep-ball when needed.
Richardson is still on acontractwith the Colts until the end of the 2026 season. The team allowing him to seek a trade this year is most likely a result of their confidence in Leonard as the backup and potentially even the starter if Jones is unable to begin the season.
Riley Leonard May Not Be The Only Option For Backup QB
Gardner Minshew Colts
GettyQuarterback Gardner Minshew threw for 3,305 yards, 15 touchdowns, and 9 interceptions in his 2023 season with the Indianapolis Colts.
While it’s likely that Leonard is the team’s optimal choice to be the backup, it is not a slam dunk. They did bring a 44-year-old Philip Rivers out ofretirement to replace Jones after his Achilles injury. Opting to go with a literal grandfather over their rookie signal caller initially looked like a lack of faith. However, it was reported that Leonard was dealing with aleg injury at the time. The injury could have been the cherry on top, where they were already unsure if they wanted to throw the rookie into the deep end against four top-10 defenses in a playoff run attempt. However, hindsight is 20-20, and given that the Colts ended up missing the playoffs anyway, it seems like a bit of a missed opportunity. Seeing how Leonard performed against the Texans, it’s hard not to wonder how additional tape would have informed the Colts’ decisions moving forward.
Regardless, there is also a chance that Leonard’s performance could have been a flash in the pan. The team will continue to evaluate him throughout the offseason. While they do so, there areother options available that they could feel more comfortable with. Seth Walder of ESPN predicted them to reunite with quarterback Gardner Minshew. In an article where he projects the Week one starting signal caller for all 32 teams in 2026,he stated, “The journeyman had more success playing for Shane Steichen in 2023 than at any other point in his career.”
Minshew is likely the safer option to start the year, while the Colts hope to stay afloat until Jones is ready to play. However, Leonard has the higher upside, and if the Colts can right their wrongs with Richardson’s development, they may be getting more than just a backup-caliber QB.