Anthony

Richardson

He also notes that Chris Ballard “openly theorized about [Riley] Leonard being the team’s backup in 2026" while saying that he believes both Richardson and the team could benefit from a divorce. We doubt that Richardson would bring back much draft capital at this point, but every bit of it might matter for a team that dealt two first-round picks for Sauce Gardner. Richardson could be a low-cost or rehab option for teams this offseason in what looks to be a pretty barren quarterback market.

Richardson’s season comes to a close. He completed 1-of-2 passes for nine yards and rushed four times for minus-one yard. The 23-year-old now has three lost seasons under his belt. In August, Richardson reportedly lost a “very close” battle to Daniel Jones for the Colts’ starting quarterback job. Things only got worse from there. Richardson’s agent told reporters that trust in the organization had been lost and a report in early October indicated that Richardson “would be open to joining a premier play caller such as Sean McVay as a developmental player so he can reset for 2026.” That scenario never came to fruition. Richardson suffered an eye injury and an orbital fracture during a pre-game elastic band workout in Week 6. Jones’ season-ending Achilles tendon rupture could afford Richardson another opportunity to compete for the starting job in 2026, though. Richardson’s potential range of outcomes remains wide as ever, heading into the new year.

Richardson remains on injured reserve but is eligible to be activated at any time. Having missed multiple months because of a fractured orbital bone, Richardson might not be ready to start this week, even if he is physically able to play. Riley Leonard will likely draw the start in a meaningless Week 18 game, though head coach Shane Steichen hasn’t made that decision yet.

Steichen said in his Monday press conference that the team was still “having discussions” on who will start the finale against Houston, and that the team would announce a decision Wednesday. It’s possible that 44-year-old Philip Rivers could get one more chance at a win, but the Colts may want to see what they have in the (much) younger Riley Leonard. Anthony Richardson could also potentially get the nod for the meaningless finale, but with the signal-caller still dealing with vision limitations, it seems unlikely.

Richardson will remained sidelined with an eye injury he suffered in October in a freak pre-game warmup accident. Richardson was seen on the Colts sideline on Monday night against the 49ers wearing dark sunglasses. It’s possible he’s played his final snap with the Colts after a disastrous three-year run in which he had 11 touchdown passes and 13 interceptions over 17 regular season games. He could be a backup or third stringer for another team in 2026 if anyone is willing to take a chance on the 23-year-old QB.

The Colts now have three weeks to officially activate Richardson from injured reserve. Head coach Shane Steichen said he still has some vision limitations. As Rapoport notes, this is largely just to get him back on the practice field. The Colts are rolling with Philip Rivers for now and have Riley Leonard as a backup option in the meantime. Richardson is undoubtedly still at least a few weeks away from returning, if not more. Unless Rivers struggles mightily, Richardson will be relegated to backup duties once fully cleared.

Could a healthy Richardson start for the Colts at some point in the next three weeks? It’s not impossible to imagine. Of course, Philip Rivers didn’t join this team to sit. We’d expect Richardson to be designated to return from injured reserve in the near future. Richardson probably would be the team’s backup over Riley Leonard if both were fully healthy, but anything beyond that comes down to ego and what the Colts have left to play for.

“From the sounds of it,” Indy Star’s Joel A. Erickson reports, “Richardson hasn’t been cleared to return yet.” It’s possible based on this update that Richardson could play later in the season for those of you looking to superflex stash a rushing quarterback. But there’s obviously no guarantee that he’ll return at this point.

The Colts are waiting to receive official word on Daniel Jones’ Achilles injury, but it’s a widely held belief that Jones will miss the remainder of the season with a torn Achilles. Richardson suffered an orbital fracture ahead of Week 6’s game against the Cardinals and has been on injured reserve ever since, leaving Riley Leonard as the primary backup to Jones. Leonard is currently positioned to be the Colts’ starting quarterback for the remainder of the season, but Richardson could step into the role if he is cleared to return. The former No. 4 overall pick has shown flashes as a starter and is an imposing presence on the ground when he takes off to run. That said, it doesn’t sound like anyone is expecting a return any time soon.

There remains a chance, per Rapoport, that Richardson returns this season. It likely won’t matter for the Colts unless Daniel Jones misses time with injury. Richardson injured his eye in a freak pre-game accident earlier this month. He’s likely done with the Colts and could be dealt this offseason to a QB-needy team.