The Pittsburgh Steelers are still in need of an answer at quarterback as they wait for a decision from 41-year-old Aaron Rodgers. Right now, that seems to be holding some things up for the Steelers, who haven’t put a deadline on Rodgers to make a decision.
In the meantime, the Steelers and GM Omar Khan, who spoke to the media Monday from the league’s owners meetings in Florida, know that they need to add two more quarterbacks to the roster and are seemingly open to making a trade, too.
That’s music to Bill Barnwell’s ears. Monday morning, Barnwell — in his annual all-trades mock draft — proposed the Steelers trading with the Indianapolis Colts for third-year quarterback and former No. 4 overall pick Anthony Richardson.
In the proposed trade, the ESPN NFL analyst has the Steelers sending No. 21 overall and a 2027 conditional pick to the Colts for Richardson and the Colts’ No. 45 overall pick in the second round.
“Richardson would be a very different kind of bet. After two years in Indianapolis, his results have been more exciting than good. In 15 starts, he has a QBR of 47.0, which includes his impact as a runner. He missed most of 2023 with a shoulder injury and was benched briefly in 2024, which means he hasn’t played much,” Barnwell writes regarding a possible Richardson trade, according to ESPN.com. “The Colts have clearly soured on Richardson as the clear long-term starter for the organization, with the front office flat-out saying in February that he would have to compete for the starting job in training camp. General manager Chris Ballard then signed Daniel Jones to a one-year, $14 million deal, with the former Giants starter bringing a more impressive résumé to Indianapolis than Richardson’s.”
After spending the No. 4 overall pick on Richardson in the 2023 NFL Draft, things haven’t gone all that well for the Florida product. Though he has great size, strength and has tantalizing traits, he hasn’t been able to put it all together, which could have him on the trade market this offseason.
The Colts did sign Daniel Jones to a one-year deal for a decent amount of money, and the belief is he will compete with Richardson for the starting job. Based on how Richardson’s first two years have gone in Indianapolis, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Jones wins that job, which would all but seal Richardson’s fate with the Colts.
So, it’s not unfathomable for Barnwell to believe the Colts could shop him, though it would be at his lowest value coming off a season in which he was benched for performance, went through a bit of an ugly debacle in which he admitted he checked himself out of a game for a play because he was tired, and now has to compete for his job.
But a landing spot in Pittsburgh would certainly be intriguing, especially at that price, considering the Steelers would really just be moving down 24 spots and getting a quarterback with tremendous traits, giving offensive coordinator Arthur Smith a ball of clay to work with at a major position of need.
The fit in Pittsburgh in Smith’s scheme would be quite fun, especially with receivers DK Metcalf and George Pickens, and tight end Pat Freiermuth at his disposal, which would be better than anything he’s had in Indianapolis.
Though he has some accuracy issues on intermediate balls, Richardson throws an elite deep ball and has incredible arm strength. Add his ability to be a weapon in the run game, and he would be the exact type of quarterback head coach Mike Tomlin has been talking about for years.
“I like the fit for Richardson in the Steelers’ offense. His arm strength would be a terrifying combination with DK Metcalf and George Pickens,” Barnwell writes. “Coordinator Arthur Smith has incorporated quarterback run concepts in each of his stops, although he would likely need to lean into those concepts further with Richardson under center. He might not be an immediate starter if the Steelers sign Aaron Rodgers, but he could take a much-needed redshirt year and then start in 2026.”
In Barnwell’s scenario, it wouldn’t be an either/or thing. This trade could still work for the Steelers even if Rodgers ultimately signs with them. Having Rodgers as the starter and Mason Rudolph as the backup with Richardson as a No. 3 and a potential package-play guy like Justin Fields was at times last season would be intriguing, giving Richardson time to reset and properly develop behind the scenes.
It wouldn’t cost much, and if the Colts are willing to move off Richardson it would make a ton of sense for Pittsburgh. But it just seems entirely unlikely at this point for both parties. It’s a fun exercise from Barnwell though and leads to some fun daydreaming.
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