Feb. 19, 2026, 8:00 p.m. ET<\/p>\n
ESPN’s Aaron Schatz<\/a> selected one player for each NFL team who could use a change of scenery. His pick for the Indianapolis Colts<\/a> was not surprising — Anthony Richardson.<\/p>\n “Shane Steichen was supposed to be the coach who could develop an offense around Richardson, but it hasn’t worked out.” Schatz wrote. “Perhaps another coach could make it work for the signal-caller.”<\/p>\n Richardson’s talent is evident, but he’s navigated injuries and is still developing. GM Chris Ballard noted the strides Richardson made last summer, but the team still named Daniel Jones the starting quarterback.<\/p>\n At that point, it became difficult to see a path forward for Richardson to be the long-term answer at quarterback for the Colts<\/a>.<\/p>\n Jones is now set to be a free agent, but reports suggest that he\u00a0is expected to be back.<\/a><\/p>\n Expert NFL picks: Exclusive betting insights only at USA TODAY.<\/a><\/p>\n In addition to that, Riley Leonard showcased that he could be a capable backup quarterback option for the Colts in his Week 18 start against a very stingy Houston defense.<\/p>\n Leonard’s emergence gives the Colts added flexibility to trade Richardson this offseason, which ESPN’s Stephen Holder<\/a> said feels “inevitable” at this point.<\/p>\n