A report from earlier in March indicated that the Indianapolis Colts had received “minimal” interest from other teams regarding a potential trade for Colts backup quarterback Anthony Richardson Sr. this offseason. 

It sounds like Colts general manager Chris Ballard is struggling to get anything of value in return for Richardson ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft. 

Would Colts hold onto Anthony Richardson Sr. instead of trading him at a discounted price?

Per ESPN’s Stephen Holder, Ballard was asked on Monday if there’s a scenario where Richardson could remain with the Colts through this offseason. 

“There’s definitely a scenario there,” Ballard responded. “He’s a good dude, and he’s talented. I mean, I still want good for Anthony, man. I still think he’s got a lot in him. He’s had some freaking bad luck, but I still think Anthony has got a lot of ability, and he’s maturing and growing. He’s still young. Anytime you take a quarterback that high…the expectations, it’s hard to live up to them no matter who you are.”

The Colts made Richardson the fourth overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft, but Indianapolis has since replaced him atop the depth chart with Daniel Jones. The Colts and Jones agreed to a two-year, $88M contract that could be worth up to $100M.

As for Richardson, he missed 17 total regular-season games due to injuries over his first two pro campaigns before Jones won the Indianapolis starting job last summer. This past October, Richardson shockingly suffered an orbital fracture during a pregame warmup.

Colts have “had some discussions with teams” about Anthony Richardson Sr. this offseason

According to Holder, “no deal is imminent, and it’s unclear whether one will materialize” for Richardson over the next handful of months. During a Monday appearance on the “Pro Football Talk Live” program, Ballard hinted that teams aren’t all that eager to give up a significant draft asset to take a flier on Richardson.

“We’ll see how it works out here over time,” Ballard said about a possible Richardson trade. “We’ve had some discussions with teams. Nothing’s come to fruition at this point. I’m proud of his development, his growth. He’s had some bad freaking luck. We’ve seen it in this league, sometimes things don’t work out one place and they become good at the next. We’ll see here over the next month how that ends up working out with Anthony.”

Perhaps a team that misses out on acquiring a quarterback during the upcoming draft will eventually view Richardson as a worthwhile investment. For now, it seems Richardson is surplus to requirements for a Colts team that also has 2025 sixth-round pick Riley Leonard on the roster.