The Indianapolis Colts have to trade quarterback Anthony Richardson at this point, it seems. He is likely set to be QB3 if he returns, behind starter Daniel Jones and backup Riley Leonard. One recent suggestion has Richardson ending up with the Green Bay Packers, though.
That suggestion comes from ESPN Colts reporter Stephen Holder, who is quite excellent in his work and doesn't say things unless he has intel. In other words, AR5 going to the Packers could be a real option for Indy and Green Bay.
The question for Green Bay, however, would be why add the failed first-round selection from 2023? Richardson does have a strong arm and good mobility, but he is a terrible on-field decision-maker and is extremely unlucky in terms of getting injured.
Indianapolis Colts insider suggests the Green Bay Packers could be a landing spot for Anthony Richardson
Richardson missed most of 2025, even while not playing. He broke an orbital bone after an exercise band broke in Week 6 warmups, and the bar hit him in the face. On the field, he has suffered a multitude of injuries, and his ability to stay available for games should be a real concern.
For the Colts, they can likely only receive a Day 3 draft pick back for the quarterback. That might be as late as rounds six or seven. Still, trading Richardson would save $5,385,549 while releasing him would save the team nothing.
That last part is the rub for any team, including the Green Bay Packers, thinking of trading for Anthony Richardson. The only positive is that the team wanting him would have control over where he goes, but wouldn't if he were a free agent on the open market.
The Indianapolis Colts are, though, very likely to release the quarterback if Indy doesn't get a solid trade offer for him. Richardson is just taking up a roster spot at this point with no path to playing. If a team wanted to avoid giving up a late-round selection for him, it could wait until the Colts make the inevitable move of letting Richardson go.
As for the Packers, they have a good starter in Jordan Love. His backup is Desmond Ridder, a 2022 third-rounder who has bounced around the league a bit. If Richardson is traded to Green Bay, maybe he can be Love's backup, but he's proven to be no better than Ridder at this point.
Moreover, Anthony Richardson is entering the final year of his rookie deal, so a team acquiring him would only have a one-year look at him while he plays as a backup to the starter. That doesn't exactly scream for a team to deal for him. The Green Bay Packers shouldn't.