The time for the Indianapolis Colts and quarterback Anthony Richardson to part ways might be rapidly approaching.

According to ESPN’s Stephen Holder, the Colts plan on moving forward with Daniel Jones as their starting quarterback in 2026, which was expected.

When it comes to Indy’s backup quarterback, Holder revealed that “there is growing belief” that 2025 draft pick Riley Leonard will be the team’s QB2 behind Jones.

That leaves Richardson as the No. 3 quarterback and a clear trade candidate. Holder adds that sources “have called into question whether there is a way forward for the quarterback in Indianapolis.”

Drafted with the No. 4 pick in the 2023 NFL draft, Richardson has been a bust. On top of injury issues, Richardson simply hasn’t been effective when on the field.

While his stock is in the toilet, Richardson is still just 23 years old and we’ve seen plenty of down-and-out quarterbacks rebound in a big way in recent years after it looked like their careers were finished.

If he is made available via trade, we could see teams like the Pittsburgh Steelers, San Francisco 49ers and Green Bay Packers having interest in Richardson as a reclamation project.

The Packers are set to lose backup Malik Willis, who was in worse shape upon being traded by the Tennessee Titans before he revived his career in Green Bay.

Now, Willis is slated to be paid handsomely by a team in need of a starter, which leaves the Packers in need of a backup.

The 49ers are in a similar boat. Mac Jones bounced back in a big way with San Fran in 2025 and is sure to draw interest on the trade market.

If the San Francisco does decide to trade Jones (the team has publicly said it won’t), the 49ers might have interest in a trade for Richardson.

In Pittsburgh, the Steelers have a major question mark at quarterback as they wait for a decision from Aaron Rodgers.

The Steelers also don’t have a long-term solution at the position, so it would make sense to take a swing on Richardson and add him to a room that includes Will Howard and Mason Rudolph.

Of those three teams, we would say the Packers are the most likely landing spot considering the circumstances with Willis and their need for a backup.

There are just too many questions with the Steelers and 49ers quarterback situations to be more confident about them as potential Richardson suitors.

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