Anthony Richardson’s days with the Indianapolis Colts could be numbered. No trade request has been filed yet, but the signals are hard to miss.
The Colts grabbed Richardson with the fourth pick in the 2023 NFL Draft after watching him tear through defenses at Florida. The front office thought they had their guy for the next decade.
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Instead, his development stalled and the expectations kept sliding. What started as optimism around a franchise quarterback has turned into uncertainty about whether he’ll even be on the roster next year.
ESPN’s Stephen Holder dropped a report that basically sealed it. Indianapolis has decided to move forward with Daniel Jones as the starter for 2026, even though he’s still recovering from a torn Achilles he suffered back in early December.
“The team has concluded that re-signing Daniel Jones and leaning on him as their starting quarterback — despite the torn Achilles tendon he suffered in early December — is the best course of action,” Holder wrote.
“Additionally, there is growing belief that Riley Leonard has shown enough coming off of his rookie year to be a No. 2 quarterback based on his performance in practice and in his lone start against the Houston Texans in the season finale.”
Indianapolis Colts quarterbacks Anthony Richardson Sr. (5), Daniel Jones (17) and Riley Leonard (15) prepare for drills Monday, July 28, 2025, during training camp held at Grand Park in Westfield.
If that plan sticks, Richardson’s path leads out of Indianapolis. His NFL career so far has been a mix of flashes and setbacks. He only got into four games during his 2023 rookie season, finishing with 577 passing yards, three touchdowns and one interception.
Year two brought more opportunities but not much consistency. Richardson played 11 games in 2024 and threw for 1,814 yards with eight touchdowns against 12 interceptions. This past season saw him limited to just two appearances.
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Indianapolis Colts quarterback Daniel Jones (17) stands on the field during the National Anthem before a game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images
Teams hunting for a quarterback reset might circle back if Richardson asks out. The Colts opened 2025 on fire, rattling off seven wins in their first eight games and looking like a legitimate AFC contender.
Then Jones went down against Jacksonville on Dec. 7 with that Achilles tear. Before the injury, he’d put together a solid first season in Indianapolis with 3,101 passing yards, 19 touchdowns and eight interceptions.
After he left the lineup, the team collapsed. Indianapolis dropped eight of its final nine games to close out the year.
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