The Miami Dolphins’ future at quarterback is, essentially, an open book.
There’s a lot of unknown facing the team at this position in 2026 — with perhaps the most certain piece of the puzzle being that the current player in place isn’t long for South Florida. Tua Tagovailoa‘s time in Miami appears to be coming to a close and, as a result, the Dolphins will be connected to every name in the quarterback market until they pick one to try.
The Indianapolis Colts have a former top-10 pick who is in need of a fresh start. Anthony Richardson‘s Colts career has been a disaster at every turn. Could the Dolphins and Richardson be a fit for each other? I tagged in A to Z Sports Indianapolis’ Destin Adams to talk about why Richardson could (and couldn’t) be an attractive option.
Is Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson a fit for the Dolphins?
Nov 3, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson (5) warms up before the game against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium. Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images
(Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images)Why he’d work in Miami
“I won’t lie when discussing potential trade fits for Anthony Richardson during the season, and ahead of the offseason, the Dolphins never seemed like a top fit to me. But sitting here now, I do see why he would appeal to Miami a bit. First of all, he’s a hometown kid, growing up in Miami, Florida, and going on to play for the Florida Gators in Gainesville. The Dolphins are in a spot where, if they can move on from Tua, they will need to bring in some sort of competition to challenge Quinn Ewers and give fans something to look forward to. Richardson would provide a high-upside option that, even though he has struggled in the NFL, a portion of Miami’s fan base would rally behind his freakish athleticism.” — Destin Adams, A to Z Sports Indianapolis
Adams is on point about the potential and upside that Richardson has. No, it hasn’t come together. But maybe a new setting with new coaches and new messaging is what’s needed for that potential to shine. Some familiarity for Richardson in South Florida could be a good or a bad thing, I’d be pretending to know either way. At the end of the day, this is the most physically gifted quarterback available this offseason. And that includes the draft prospects. It’s enough to at least warrant consideration for a chance to compete for a starting job in 2026, especially given he’s owed less than $5.5 million in cash.
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Aug 16, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson Sr. (5) during warmups prior to the game against the Green Bay Packers at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images
Why he wouldn’t work in Miami
“As fun as Richardson’s athletic profile is to talk about, the cons to trading for him are fairly obvious. In his only season starting double-digit games in the NFL, he threw 12 interceptions and only 8 passing touchdowns. And he completed less than 50% of his passes at just 47.7%. Giving up a draft pick for a player that there is certainly a chance he completely flames out with just one more year on his rookie deal is a risk. You could make the argument it would be a smarter use of resources by Miami to keep their picks and just let Ewers play. He may also very well be bad, but at least he doesn’t cost them draft capital.” — Destin Adams, A to Z Sports Indianapolis
While the upside is evident with Richardson, he’s also one of the options with the lowest floors for the Dolphins to target. The tape in Indianapolis is littered by poor decisions, inaccuracies, inaccuracies, and missed opportunities. It’s been an infuriating stretch for the former top-10 pick, who has rarely put together all of his abilities for a sustained stretch of play through three seasons in Indy. This is the ultimate boom or bust candidate — do the Dolphins want their first bet at quarterback to be such a high-variance one?
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This story was originally published by A to Z Sports on Feb 26, 2026, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add A to Z Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.