Anthony

Richardson

Wouldn’t be the first trade of regrets between the Browns and Colts for a Richardson. The Vikings and Richardson reportedly have mutual interest, but the Browns are the second team we’ve seen publicly linked to them by the sourced men. It’s hard to fault any offensive-minded head coach for seeing Richardson’s tools and thinking they can work with them, but it’s going to be a major heat check by whoever ultimately takes the risk.

It’s the first team we’ve seen linked to Richardson, though we’re not really sure what the Vikings would get out of adding a quarterback who has missed a lot of games and struggled to be accurate when he has been on the field to a room that already has a rookie-contract quarterback doing those things. We’ll see where this goes. It would not be surprising if Richardson surfaces as a backup option somewhere in 2026, as he seems locked out of the role in Indianapolis.

This news comes shortly after it was announced that the Colts and Richardson would explore trade options for the former No. 4 overall pick. Richardson suffered a fractured orbital bone last season that landed him on injured reserve. Colts GM Chris Ballard said on Tuesday at the combine that Richardson was “cleared to play,” but the third-year quarterback dealt with impaired vision for an extended period of time while recovering. Richardson has one year left on his rookie contract, which will likely be a prove-it year, as the Colts or any acquiring team is unlikely to exercise his fifth-year option. Richardson is an intriguing reclamation project for any team interested in taking a shot at the versatile signal-caller, but he will have a short time to prove himself as a player worth keeping beyond the 2026 season.

This is in everyone’s best interest. The Colts will likely bring back Daniel Jones in free agency. Even though they will need a solid backup because of Jones’s Achilles injury, Richardson is a lottery ticket that might become a starter, not a steady QB2 option. It’s time for someone else to take a crack at unlocking Richardson’s potential. With Richardson clearly out of the team’s long-term plans, it shouldn’t take much in the way of draft picks to acquire him. Teams embarking on a rebuild would be wise to make an offer, even if Richardson is now a high-risk bet at his position.

Riley Leonard’s work over the back half of the season has “warmed” the Colts on the idea that he can ascend to their No. 2 job. Richardson is a) probably not going to require much compensation in a trade and b) probably not guaranteed to do more than compete for a starting job wherever he lands. Still, fantasy upside resides in those legs, so we’ll be watching and hoping he lands somewhere where he has a chance to win a job.

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.