Anthony Richardson
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Teams are beginning to show interest in a potential trade with the Colts for Anthony Richardson
The Indianapolis Colts have been aggressive early on this offseason, with several of their big moves seeing them keep their own players in town. After signing Alec Pierce to a four-year, $116 million contract right at the start of free agency, the Colts managed to agree to a two-year, $88 million contract extension with Daniel Jones.
While Jones is recovering from a torn Achilles tendon, he is in line to be Indianapolis’ starting quarterback for the next few years. That leaves former first-round pick Anthony Richardson in no-man’s land, as he appears likely to get traded off the team at some point this offseason. With the quarterback market drying up in free agency, it sounds like teams are beginning to show interest in Richardson.
Anthony Richardson Trade Rumors Beginning to Pick Up Steam
Stephen Holder
Update on Colts QB Anthony Richardson, who is available via trade. No deal is imminent, per multiple sources. There are interested teams, but the dust is still settling from free agency.
One particular team to monitor: the Green Bay Packers.
The Colts selected Richardson with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. Despite boasting an incredible physical profile, while also featuring a cannon of an arm, Richardson was an incredibly raw prospect coming out of college. While he showcased his potential at times to begin his career with Indy, his inconsistency was maddening, and he also missed significant time with injuries as well.
In 2025, Richardson lost the starting quarterback job to Jones, and thanks to an orbital fracture he suffered in October, he ended up missing practically the entire season. With Jones entrenched as the team’s starter of the future, Richardson decided to request a trade early in the offseason in hopes of getting his career back on track.
With several other reclamation projects available in free agency, teams targeted them first, but now, it looks like they are shifting their attention to Richardson. According to Colts’ insider Stephen Holder of ESPN, while no deal is imminent, interest in Richardson is beginning to pick up, with the Green Bay Packers being a team to watch after they lost their own backup quarterback, Malik Willis, to the Miami Dolphins in free agency.
“Update on Colts QB Anthony Richardson, who is available via trade. No deal is imminent, per multiple sources,” Holder reported in a post on X. “There are interested teams, but the dust is still settling from free agency. One particular team to monitor: the Green Bay Packers.”
What Could Colts Get in Return for Anthony Richardson?
Anthony Richardson, Colts
GettyQuarterback Anthony Richardson of the Indianapolis Colts.
Richardson is one of the more unique names on the trade market. The Colts don’t have much leverage in trade talks, but there’s still a lot to like about Richardson. He will turn just 24 years old in May, and with the right tutelage, he still could be a very good dual-threat quarterback in the NFL. It just isn’t going to happen with Indianapolis (at least not right now).
A fifth or sixth-round pick is likely what the Colts will be looking to get in exchange for Richardson at this stage of the game. Burning a first-round pick on him just three years ago obviously isn’t ideal, but Indianapolis very well may have struck gold with Jones. And even if that proves to be false, getting something back in return for Richardson makes more sense than potentially losing him for nothing next offseason.