Anthony Richardson is on the verge of playing with his football life. He deserves to, though. Moreover, he needs to. The Indianapolis Colts quarterback would likely do better with a change of scenery, as it appears clear he isn't going to work out in Indy.
According to ESPN's Stephen Holder, Richardson's asking for a trade from the Colts feels "inevitable." The reason is simple enough. Indianapolis is obviously going to try to re-sign Daniel Jones in free agency, pushing Richardson to a backup role again. Even worse, he might only be QB3 as the team may see Riley Leonard in the QB2 spot.
Leonard hasn't started nearly as much as Richardson, but in his only start of his career so far, Leonard was quite good against one of the best defenses in the NFL in 2025. In Week 18, Leonard passed for 270 yards and two touchdowns, and he ran for another.
Anthony Richardson reportedly likely to request a trade from the Indianapolis Colts
He put up 17 points against the Texans' starters in the first half, more points than eight of Houston's opponents scored against them in a full game. Leonard was accurate, strong-armed, and ran well. He was everything that Indy hoped Richardson would be when the team drafted AR5 fourth overall in the 2023 NFL draft.
Anthony Richardson definitely has a strong arm, and he has immense athleticism. He just isn't working out for the Colts. In 17 games over three seasons (while he was a backup in 2025, Richardson missed 19 games in his first two seasons, mostly because of various injuries), he has completed just 50.6 percent of his passes and has 11 TD passes against 13 interceptions.
He also hasn't shown the kind of growth from year to year that potential starting quarterbacks are expected to show. He seems no better now than he did two seasons ago. Richardson also got hurt in 2025 without even playing after an exercise band broke ahead of Week 6, hitting the QB in the face and breaking an orbital bone.
That injury is key, too. Should Richardson request a trade, and should the Indianapolis Colts honor that request, any prospective team thinking about working out a move for the quarterback will want to make sure he doesn't have the blurry vision caused by the broken bone in his face.
If the medical part clears out, why should the Colts not trade Richardson? He is entering the final season of his rookie deal, and moving him now gives the team something - anything - in return for a player they don't expect to get many snaps. A trade would likely be a win-win for the player and the team.
Maybe some coach somewhere can unlock Anthony Richardson's potential excellence while Indianapolis can get a mid-round draft pick for the quarterback. Even a sixth-rounder would be fine. Instead, the quarterback is probably going to walk in free agency in the 2027 offseason, and Indy will be left with nothing for their 2023 first-round pick.