One aspect appears certain about Anthony Richardson when it comes to the Indianapolis Colts: The team isn't counting on him to be the team's starting quarterback in 2026. Or ever again. Indy would obviously rather re-sign Daniel Jones and have him be QB1 again.
The team also has Riley Leonard, who was pretty good when given a chance to play this season. Could he turn out to be everything Richardson hasn't been? Maybe. He can run well and is a more accurate passer. Richardson is simply trending toward being a first-round draft bust.
The quarterback has one year left on his rookie deal, assuming Indy doesn't pick up his fifth-year option. Doing so should be a fireable offense for general manager Chris Ballard. Richardson has never proven to be anything close to a QB1, and paying him $10 million in 2027 to be a backup would be silly.
Proposed trade has the Indianapolis Colts sending Anthony Richardson to the Browns
In other words, getting anything for the QB might be wise. That's why a recent trade proposal by Ethen Hutton of Fantasy Sports on SI makes more sense than just about anything else, at least for the Colts. Not for the other team making the deal, though it does seem like something that team would do.
Hutton suggests that Indianapolis send Richardson and a 2026 sixth-round pick to the Cleveland Browns for a 2026 third-round choice and a conditional 2027 fourth-round selection. Basically, Richardson for a third-round choice? Yes, please.
Before anyone begins to question if Cleveland would make the move, one must remember how poorly the Browns are run. The team has never made the Super Bowl, and took two quarterbacks in the 2025 NFL draft. One of those was Sheeur Sanders and the circus that surrounds his being. The other was Dillon Gabriel.
Gabriel was less awful than Sanders, though the team chose to start Sanders at the end of the season. Gabriel had a record of 1-5, but threw seven touchdown passes and just two interceptions. His quarterback rating was 80.8.
Sanders made the Pro Bowl, proving that the All-Star has zero integrity. He did have a record of 3-4, but threw 10 interceptions and seven touchdowns. His quarterback rating was a dismal 68.1.
Could Anthony Richardson do better than Gabriel and Sanders? Ultimately, who cares? The real steal would be the Indianapolis Colts picking up a third-round pick to give them another on Day 2 of the draft. Indy doesn't have a first-round selection after Ballard gave that to the New York Jets for cornerback Sauce Gardner. Adding a third-rounder would help make up for the loss of the first-rounder to a slight degree. But anything is better than nothing.