When the Indianapolis Colts deployed the No. 4 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft to bring in then-Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson into the fold, it was a swing-for-the-fences-type move. By then, it had been four seasons since Andrew Luck had stunningly retired, and Indy hoped to finally find an answer under center.
What they hoped would be a home-run selection, however, proved to be a massive swing-and-a-miss. Richardson was unable to establish himself as the Colts franchise centerpiece, and his time with the franchise appears to be nearing its end.
Richardson's Time in Indianapolis Appears to Be Nearing an End
Indianapolis declined to pick up Richardson's fifth-year option last week, meaning he has just one year left on his rookie deal. While that serves as a drop-dead date for his tenure with the Colts, it could end sooner than that.
Richardson requested a trade out of Indy earlier this offseason, and the Colts permitted him to speak with other teams. Thus far, no deal has crossed the wire.
Richardson is 8-7 over his 15 starts for the Colts. While he's above .500, the eye test and the stats show a quarterback that struggles throwing the football, owning a 67.8 career passer rating and a 50.6% completion rate.
Richardson also dealt with a fair share of injuries. He suffered a concussion along with a season-ending AC joint sprain as a rookie, and then was on injured reserve last year — while serving as the backup — due to an orbital bone fracture.
Maybe the most jarring moment of Richardson's brief tenure with the Colts — and an unofficial nail in the coffin for any hope that he'll be the franchise's quarterback — came when he took himself out of a Week 8 matchup against the Texans in 2024 for one play due to fatigue.
With Daniel Jones now established as the Colts starter for the foreseeable future — especially after inking a two-year, $88 million contract extension back in March — what's next for Richardson? Is there a path forward for the former Gator in the NFL?
Best-Case Scenario for Anthony Richardson
At this point, Richardson has no path towards becoming an immediate starter anywhere in the NFL. So, his next stop will see him in a backup role. If we're playing out a possible best-case scenario for him, Richardson should look to the likes of Geno Smith, Sam Darnold and Daniel Jones as quarterbacks cast aside before resurrecting their careers.
For Richardson, he needs to be calculated about where he ends up next, whether that's in a trade or via release and free agency. Ideally, he lands with an organization that has a history of developing quarterbacks and has a strong, offensive-minded coach.
One example could be the Minnesota Vikings, as Kevin O'Connell has tapped multiple veteran quarterbacks in the past, including Darnold. However, the Vikings already have a crowded quarterback room with Kyler Murray signed earlier this offseason as the QB1 for 2026, while J.J. McCarthy and Carson Wentz make up the rest of the depth chart.
The Philadelphia Eagles — a team that always has an affinity for developing quarterbacks regardless of already having a starter in Jalen Hurts — is another option if Richardson opts to be a clear-cut backup and wants to hone his raw ability in the shadows. There, he'd hope to follow a Malik Willis-type trajectory, boosting his stock in spot appearances.
If Richardson wants a more immediate path towards possibly landing a starting job again, the Arizona Cardinals are without a bona fide starting quarterback. They have veteran Jacoby Brissett in-house as the incumbent starter from last season, but they went 1-11 with him as QB1 in 2025.
They also drafted Carson Beck in the third round and signed Gardner Minshew in free agency. If Mike LaFleur wants to roll the dice on someone, Richardson's ceiling is higher than anyone he currently has on his roster, albeit with a much lower floor.