Speculation can be fun, but one should always verify the source. Anyone can say anything, but it doesn't always carry any weight. This is the situation with some recent rumors about Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson and the Cincinnati Bengals.
The Bengals lost their excellent starting QB, Joe Burrow, for at least three months after he injured his toe in Week 2. Three months is basically the rest of the season. Cincy has Jake Browning as a backup, but he likely isn't the kind of quarterback who can get his team to the playoffs.
In other words, Cincinnati might be in the market for a new, and at least temporarily, QB1. The Bengals have signed a couple of quarterbacks to the practice squad, but they are expected to be backups and not starters.
Indianapolis Colts sending Anthony Richardson to the Bengals is not going to happen
But the rumor mill being the rumor mill, there has been speculation by some that the Colts could trade Anthony Richardson to the Bengals. That would make no sense for anyone involved, so before you start to believe the AR5 to Cincy could come true, don't.
One of the trade projections comes from Enzo Flojo of Cluth Points. Flojo thinks Richardson could be dealt to Cincy for a mid-round choice, specifically a fourth-rounder. That kind of package does make sense for a quarterback on their rookie deal.
What doesn't make sense is the rest of the idea. Richardson is a completely different quarterback than Joe Burrow. The Bengals aren't about to take a gamble on Richardson in hopes that AR5 can suddenly do something he has never done: Be good.
Burrow is much more of a classic drop-back quarterback who runs when things break down. He is extremely accurate and has a great arm. Richardson has a strong arm, but no accuracy, and relying on him to throw a bunch for a team to win is inviting doom on one's own team.
Cincinnati is not going to switch up its base offense simply to bring in a quarterback with the skill set of Richardson. Not just for Anthony Richardson, but for any QB of his ilk. Cincinnati has enough talent to stay competitive without Burrow, and adding Richardson would make them worse.
Just because a quarterback on a rookie deal (one who has started a bit in the NFL) has been benched does not mean he is going to be traded. Should something happen to Daniel Jones, at least the team has a history with Richardson. The next QB up would be Riley Leonard, and that's bad.
The Indianapolis Colts are not going to trade Anthony Richardson to the Cincinnati Bengals. The move makes little sense for Indy, and zero sense for Cincy.