Although Anthony Richardson has considerable athletic upside, he has struggled mightily since being drafted fourth overall three years ago. Richardson’s issues and Daniel Jones‘ new contract left the Colts with an easy fifth-year option decision.
Indianapolis will decline Richardson’s option by Friday’s deadline, Fox59’s Mike Chappell reports. The option would have cost the Colts $22.48MM in 2027 guaranteed money. Richardson lost a QB competition to Jones last year and suffered what turned out to be a season-ending eye injury off the field. Jones has since received the transition tag and signed a two-year, $88MM extension.
[RELATED: 2027 NFL Fifth-Year Option Tracker]
The Colts did not receive any calls on Richardson during the draft, GM Chris Ballard confirmed. The QB has requested a trade, and while some interest was believed to have emerged earlier this offseason, the sides are in a holding pattern.
While Richardson’s fifth-year option was never believed to be much of an internal debate, he is tied to $10.82MM in guaranteed 2026 compensation. It might take the Colts, as the Jets did with Zach Wilson in 2024, taking on some of that contract-year guarantee to facilitate a trade.
The late Jim Irsay championed Richardson coming out of the draft, indicating the Colts would have probably taken him at No. 1 overall had they held that choice. Bryce Young went first overall that year, with C.J. Stroud coming off the board one spot later. The Colts, after their Jeff Saturday-coached 2022 season placed them in the No. 4 draft slot, drafted Richardson — a one-year starter out of Florida. Richardson’s one Gators season produced a sub-54% completion rate, but he presented tantalizing athleticism at that year’s Combine. The Colts made the pick and have since regretted it.
Only eight QBs have thrown 200-plus passes in a 21st-century season and completed less than 50% of them; Richardson became No. 8 in 2024, completing just 47.7% of his throws. That season included more injury trouble for Indy’s dual threat, but a bizarre sequence in which Richardson asked out of a game in Houston due to fatigue prompted intense internal and external scrutiny. Richardson’s preparation habits drew criticism in the aftermath of that strange sequence, and Shane Steichen temporarily benched him for then-backup Joe Flacco. Jones was then signed to a one-year deal to serve as competition. Despite the Vikings offering a better deal, the ex-Giants starter viewed the Indianapolis gig as presenting a better chance to start.
Weeks after Jones won the job, Richardson suffered an orbital bone fracture during a pregame warmup. The Colts designated the 6-foot-4 QB to return from IR late in the season but never activated him, going with the unretired Philip Rivers and sixth-round rookie Riley Leonard to close the slate. Richardson trade rumors had emerged dating back to 2024, and after Jones’ season running the offense, he asked out in early March of this year.
Vikings interest was rumored, and the Packers were then linked to the depressed Colts asset. Minnesota signed Kyler Murray for the veteran minimum following his Arizona release, but Green Bay — after losing Malik Willis in free agency — did not make a notable addition via free agency or the draft. The Chiefs also considered Richardson but ultimately traded for Justin Fields.
Ballard said recently Richardson could stay in Indianapolis, but that should be considered unlikely. Leonard would be positioned as Jones’ backup in the event of a trade. This situation could drag on a while. The next step will be Richardson’s potential attendance at OTAs and minicamp.
Ah yes… Anthony Richardson, first round draft pick, brought to you by the same people who gave you Jeff Saturday, NFL head coach.
Spectacular, worthless athlete right now.
Bring in an offensive genius and run a two QB offense with Richardson as halfback (runner/receiver) QB and another (fairly mobile but better passer) as QB 1.
Such an offense would tie defensive coordinators in stitches and it would be the only useful use of Richardson possible.
They’d be terrible, maybe exciting, and definitely set a record for most backward passes/laterals.
What Alec really means is “convert Richardson to a wildcat specialist”.
Yes, but one who is on the field almost every down. Or at least two out of three. The Taysom Hill analogy somewhat holds, but really what I mean is an offense built around this structure. Something like what Harbaugh built for Lamar Jackson, but instead of focusing on a single running QB it would focus on two of them.
Okay, but for that to work, you’d need to trade for Lamar Jackson, then successfully clone Lamar, then convince the clone to sign a contract for less money so Indy can stay under the cap, and then trade Richardson for a carload of dispensary quality pot so you can then get Steichen very very very high to convince him that plan will succeed.
Why .? He gave up on his team when he said he was tired. Screw that.. Just let him go
At this point, about the best the Colts can hope for is to cover all of his salary but the minimum and toss in a sixth round pick to get maybe a fifth rounder in return… Not even sure that would facilitate a deal.
Nobody wants to trade for him but as a free agent he has few decent landing spots. If anybody needs development depth right now it’s Commanders, Steelers, Dolphins & Ravens
I’m shocked anybody is surprised nobody wanted to trade for him.
So much for him going to the Rams. If they carry a third, it’ll have to be somebody experienced that can actually play if something happens, like Garoppolo.
Had bust all over him esp picked in the first round.
Richardson is a combination of a a guy who has very little talent and very little humility. He’s Diego Pavia without the talent. Watching him at Florida made the Gator faithful pull their hair out. Watching him stare at his primary receiver all the way through his route and then take off running without checking his secondary and tertiary targets was maddening to anybody who has ever coached. When he did get a pass off it was usually 5 yards short or behind the receiver. And the bad thing was he didn’t say,” Hey, it’s my fault,” he’d stand there and stare at the receiver like he had done something wrong. I think he could be a decent wide out, or maybe running back because he runs like a deer, but anything to do with throwing a football or progressive thinking should be avoided.
Great description of a desperate situation. How did the Colts ever draft Richardson in the first round? Surely their scouts should have known better.
Steelers could get him for a 6th.