According to PFF, Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson is listed among their ‘15 trade candidates ahead of the 2026 offseason’:
QB Anthony Richardson, Indianapolis Colts
The Colts’ path to contention was rapidly dashed midseason, especially after Daniel Jones tore his Achilles in Week 14. Now, Indianapolis has several major questions ahead — including what to do with Richardson.
The former fourth overall pick played just 14 total snaps last season, missing a golden opportunity to gain reps because of an orbital fracture. Across
his three-year career, Richardson has recorded just a 60.0 overall PFF grade with 22 big-time throws and 19 turnover-worthy plays.
The Colts will likely want to secure at least some viable depth behind Jones coming off of a significant injury, which could convince them to retain Richardson. But it also wouldn’t be surprising to teams take a swing on the 23-year-old, especially given his raw talent and the recent wave of first-round reclamation projects under center.
Even with incumbent Colts starting quarterback Daniel Jones set to become a pending 2026 league free agent and currently recovering from a later season torn Achilles—with no clear timetable for when he’ll be ready for 2026, Richardson’s future in Indianapolis appears very murky at best.
While Richardson was both lauded for being a good teammate and shown sympathy for his downright terrible injury luck this season, neither team owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon nor longtime general manager Chris Ballard were very committal in end-of-season pressers toward the rising 4th-year quarterback and former 2023 4th overall pick, who lost his starting job to Jones during a heated training camp and preseason battle last offseason.
Further complicating Richardson’s future is that rookie Riley Leonard recently played pretty well against the Houston Texans’ vaunted first-team defense during the first half of the regular season finale a few weeks ago. However, it’s fair to point out though that such a sample size is still very limited. That being said, Leonard shows promise as a potential long-term QB2 behind Jones, or whoever else is starting for the Colts the next few years.
Because of a freak medical band training accident suffered pre-game during Week 6, Richardson fractured his orbital bone and was essentially lost for the remainder of the 2025 season on injured reserve after surgery. At season’s end, he was still suffering from vision limitations and was never activated off I.R., despite practicing.
It was a devastating blow for Richardson’s development and chances of reclaiming Indy’s starting QB1 job—and arguably the Colts realistic (and then ever dwindling) playoff chances, who collapsed down the stretch run yet again, after once sitting at 8-2, but then losing 7 straight games to close out the 2025 campaign.
Having lost Jones to the season-ending Achilles injury in Week 14, and presumably Richardson already, Indianapolis was without both its first and second-team quarterback down the final stretch run—causing the Colts to make a desperation play for 44-year-old quarterback Philip Rivers to unretire for 3 starts (having not played in 5 years) and then turning to Leonard once eliminated from the playoff hunt for the season finale.
After a tantalizing 4 start sample size as a rookie 2023 before being lost to a season-ending shoulder injury, Richardson has been plagued with further injuries, some alleged maturity issues (including the infamous in-game tap-out we saw firsthand in 2024), and throwing accuracy issues. He did show more polish the last handful of games in 2024 and arguably outplayed Jones, at least on the field during last offseason, although the latter did all the little things that Colts fans didn’t see in person that ultimately won him the starting job outright.
It is concerning for Richardson that Jones seemed to master the Colts offense in a matter of months, when Richardson had been here for over 2 years and hadn’t demonstrated the same level of offensive proficiency.
Helping Richardson’s Colts cause is that it’s possible that Jones may not be ready for this summer’s training camp and preseason games, let alone the regular season opener.
However, with a projected $9.72M cap hit for 2026, it’s possible that the Colts could look to save some team salary cap space and boost their NFL draft pick capital—without a first round pick this year (and next) by dealing Richardson.
The still 23-year-old quarterback assuredly wouldn’t fetch a first round pick pick back, but he could have enough youth and upside to garner a mid-round pick. while getting an arguably needed change of scenery for both sides.
