Anthony Richardson requested a trade from the Indianapolis Colts this past offseason, but nothing materialized, and he is still on the roster. Teams might have wanted to wait until August 1 to make a move, though. After the first few days of Indy training camp, though, teams might not want to.
The August 1 date is important because that would mark the fourth day of Colts camp, which means the quarterback is guaranteed a $4.2 million roster bonus. Before day three of camp, had he been moved, the team wouldn't have had to pay that.
The good part for any potential buyer of Richardson's services is that it would only have to pay the QB $1.1 million in 2026 and not the roster bonus, too. This means Richardson's potential new employer wouldn't be paying him much, at least in terms of NFL money, while having a season to decide if the team wants to try to keep paying him.
Indianapolis Colts fans have two reasons to watch Anthony Richardson as training camp unfolds
Richardson is a free agent next offseason no matter what happens before Week 1 of 2026. His market value is unknown, but could increase if he has to play this coming season and, most importantly, he does well. That would mean something happened to Daniel Jones again, however, and that's not great.
To make matters worse, from those who have observed practices so far, especially James Boyd of The Athletic (subscription required), who is also part of Indianapolis's 107.5 The Fan's morning show, has commented that Richardson has once again been inaccurate with his throws. That is unacceptable for a player entering his fourth season, and the team isn't practicing with pads yet.
Richardson isn't leading his receivers, who often have to turn for the ball and stop all their momentum, and finds it impossible to throw a receiver open consistently. Again, the pads weren't on at training in the first three days of camp. That means no contact and no game-like disruption of receivers. If Richardson can't be successful then, he likely never can.
So why would a team think of trading for Anthony Richardson if he is still not proving he could help a team win? Sure, he has lots of athletic gifts, but that doesn't guarantee success in the NFL, especially at the quarterback position. Richardson is the epitome of that.
The Indianapolis Colts clearly aren't going to outright release the quarterback. There is no reason to do so. Indy isn't afraid to keep three quarterbacks on the roster, and might need to based on the health of both Daniel Jones and Anthony Richardson. Having three QBs who have worked in head coach Shane Steichen's system consistently is important.
But Richardson should be entering the final season of his Indianapolis career. He still can't throw accurately, and Jones is hopefully a successful long-term starter.
Fans have two reasons to watch Richardson's training camp unfold, though. Will he be traded now that he is cheaper for any new team? And will he play better closer to the regular season? Inquiring minds need to know.
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