The Indianapolis Colts might very well decide to keep quarterback Anthony Richardson around for 2026. He will be a free agent after the season, but he could be the Week 1 starter. With AR5, anything is possible.
But while he requested a trade, knowing that he wasn't in the team's long-term plans to be the starter (that should be Daniel Jones), he is also still saying all the right words and doing the right things this offseason. He showed up to voluntary workouts and put in the work.
While having his jersey retired this week at the high school he attended (Gainesville Eastside High), Richardson delivered the words Colts fans love to hear. In part, "Just showing up at OTAs, it was a blessing in disguise for me because I just wanted to work and (the Colts) allowed me to do that, so I'm thankful for that."
Anthony Richardson says all the right words about his Indianapolis Colts situation
One might not be sure what kind of "disguise" the "blessing" was, of course. He is still an employee of the team, and most other players were at OTAs, and Richardson would have made news by not showing up. Still, it was a classy move that he did. Many others in his position would not have.
Richardson added while having his jersey retired, "The Colts are still giving me a chance to go out there and work, work hard and potentially get on the field...If I don't put that work in to be a better player then I won't be in the NFL. I just want to work hard and constantly think about my opportunity that I have now and try to take advantage of it."
He could easily be on the field in Week 1, and that could be the restart to his career. Daniel Jones might miss the first several games of next season while recovering from a torn Achilles tendon in Week 14 last season. To begin the year, a quarterback battle between Anthony Richardson and Riley Leonard could brew.
Richardson has more starting experience, of course, though that was necessarily good experience. He played poorly and inefficiently, throwing more interceptions (13) than touchdowns (11), and completing just over 50 percent of his passes. That isn't the kind of production that any team wants, which may be why a trade hasn't materialized for the quarterback this offseason, as Richardson requested.
He might still have a path to help the Indianapolis Colts win, and by doing so, rebuild his free agent market next offseason. Ironically, while Richardson seems a lost cause on the Indy roster currently, he could also be a key reason the team makes the playoffs for the first time since 2020.
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