According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, he wouldn’t be surprised if Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson, who’s competing for the QB2 job behind starter Daniel Jones, has played his last down in Indy:
It’s been a roller coaster ride for the 2023 4th overall pick of the Colts, who had a promising start to his pro career as a rookie in a limited 4 starts that
same season, before being lost to a season-ending shoulder injury.
Richardson endured a ‘sophomore slump’ a year later, where his maturity was questioned following his infamous in-game tap-out incident, and it’s been a myriad of injuries that have kept him off the field ever since—including a freak accident in Week 6 last season when a medical band snapped during pre-game work, which would cause him to miss the remaining 2025 season. The Colts could’ve certainly used Richardson after Jones went down with an Achilles tear during Week 14 of last year, but as mentioned, he wasn’t available himself as a backup.
There’s been plenty of blame to go around for both sides. The Colts initially said he needed snaps and game day reps after drafting him, only to reverse course, and say he wasn’t ready—and should’ve sat to begin his pro career in retrospect. Indianapolis never surrounded him with a willing veteran mentor at quarterback either.
Even overlooking the injuries, Richardson’s passing accuracy remains a critical deficiency for him to take the next step, and it’s a fair question of whether he was doing everything on and off the field to lead the team as their new QB1—and the fresh CEO of W. 56th Street team headquarters.
At any rate, having already had trouble handling some snaps in training camp, it appears as though Richardson’s vision may not have fully recovered yet from the medical band incident. With his trade value already seemingly low, because let’s face it, if the Colts had gotten something meaningful in a trade offer in return, they probably already would’ve moved him, one has to wonder if the latest vision concerns only torpedos it downward further.
For what it’s worth, there has been no status update per Richardson, on his earlier offseason trade request from both him and his representation, which still remains active—as he’s just looking to help a team, whether it’s the Colts or another NFL squad right now:
With Richardson, at best, having failed to separate himself so far from 2nd-year quarterback Riley Leonard in training camp, it makes the most sense for Indianapolis both now and going forward to have the latter as the QB2 behind Jones because Leonard is under contract through the 2028 season, whereas Richardson is a free agent at year-end—and it’s a foregone conclusion that he will not re-sign with the Colts.
It would be one thing if Richardson was head-and-shoulders the better backup QB option over Leonard, who just has one career start under his belt, but that hasn’t been the case yet. Richardson definitely needs to pick it up.
