Indianapolis Colts say they will be patient in their efforts to trade Anthony Richardson, but what exactly does that mean
The Indianapolis Colts have not been able to find a trade partner for Anthony Richardson. The team is being patient on that front, but could they actually enter training camp with the quarterback still on the roster?
Everyone around the NFL has wondered what the Indianapolis Colts will do with former fourth overall pick Anthony Richardson. The young quarterback was granted permission to seek a trade during the scouting combine. But nothing has come together at this time.
Since then, the Colts have handed Daniel Jones a massive two-year contract worth up to $100 million. So, despite his torn right Achilles tendon injury in 2025, the team is moving forward with him as their quarterback. The question on everyone’s minds now: Where do things stand between Richardson and the Colts?
Colts don’t seem motivated to move Anthony Richardson for pennies on the dollar
Following the draft, Colts general manager Chris Ballard had some updates to give. He was asked whether there was interest from other teams during the draft in acquiring Richardson. Ballard responded by saying, “Nothing yet, no. Nothing yet.”
He was then asked whether that surprised him, prompting him to say, “Nothing surprises me anymore.” His final remarks on the subject shared the team’s plan going forward “We’ll have a little patience here and see what happens. We’ll let it play out as it does over time.”
If you had told me at the beginning of the offseason that Richardson would still be on the roster heading into OTAs, I wouldn’t have believed you. That’s the reality of the situation, though. It makes you wonder if it’s possible he’s still on the team when training camp arrives?
Colts QB Anthony Richardson’s career NFL stats
- 2023: 4 games, 2-2 record, 50/84 pass attempts (59.5%), 577 passing yards, 3 passing touchdowns, 1 interception, 25 rushing attempts, 136 yards, 4 rushing touchdowns
- 2024: 11 games, 6-5 record, 126/264 pass attempts (47.7%), 1,814 passing yards, 8 passing touchdowns, 12 interceptions, 86 rushing attempts, 499 rushing yards, 6 rushing touchdowns
- 2025: 2 games, 0-0 record, 1/2 pass attempts (50%), 0 passing touchdowns, 0 interceptions, 4 rushing attempts, -1 rushing yards, 0 rushing touchdowns
Could Anthony Richardson be on the roster come training camp?
All indications given by the team suggest they don’t expect Richardson to participate in OTAs. Knowing that makes it hard to believe the Colts will bring the quarterback into training camp and hope for the best.
It seems like the situation would be more of a distraction than a positive for the team. So, for that to work, they would need to get an indication that he would actually participate in training camp to make it a possibility. Therefore, the ball is kind of in Richardson’s court.
Eventually, Richardson and his team could realize that Indy is the best spot for him in 2026. Teams clearly aren’t lining up to make him their starter. And Jones’ leg injury could make him miss time early in the year. That would open the door for Richardson to start and show the Colts and the rest of the league what he can do.
