Not so long ago, scouts debated whether Anthony Richardson would be the league's next superstar. As raw as he was, his otherworldly athleticism and mesmerizing physical tools made him the No. 4 pick in a draft class that featured three quarterbacks in the first five picks.
Fast forward to today, and the Indianapolis Colts have reportedly been trying to shop him all offseason, but to no avail. His accuracy issues, questions about his work ethic, injury-proneness, and Daniel Jones' arrival have made him expendable.
The mere fact that other teams haven't been willing to make a move for him is clearly discouraging. That said, he's still too young to give up on him. However, he must stay in the right situation to steer the course of the ship.
Indianapolis Colts and Green Bay Packers could still save Anthony Richardson's career
Considering that, it feels like only two teams could help him fulfill his true potential, and the Colts are one of them. The other perfect situation for him includes a trip to Lambeau Field to play for the Green Bay Packers.
Staying in Indianapolis may not be the worst thing that could happen to him, though it would come under certain circumstances. For starters, if he stays, that's probably because they couldn't find any takers, and the team did wrong. Ultimately, that should lead to Shane Steichen and Chris Ballard losing their jobs.
That would also probably raise questions about Daniel Jones' future with the organization. A new regime could still see Richardson as a potential starter, and another year on the sidelines and learning from a veteran might finally help him figure things out.
Other than that, he should be rooting for a move to the Packers. Matt LaFleur is, like Kevin O'Connell and Kyle Shanahan, known as a bit of a quarterback whisperer, and the Packers could use a younger backup quarterback with more upside.
The Minnesota Vikings and San Francisco 49ers are all set with J.J. McCarthy/Kyler Murray/Carson Wentz, and Mac Jones as their backups. The Packers have Tyrod Taylor, but they could benefit from having another young signal-caller to mold, as they did with Malik Willis.
Barring a shocking turn of events or a major string of injuries, Richardson has zero chances of starting in 2025. Regardless of where he is, he must approach next season as a developmental campaign, so he should want to be somewhere he can actually be developed.
Matt LaFleur is a brilliant offensive play designer and someone who has shown he can hide his quarterback's flaws and scheme around them. Likewise, he adapted to Willis and put him in a position to succeed and use his legs when he had to play.
Richardson has somewhat brought this upon himself, but at the end of the day, he's just an inexperienced athletic freak who hasn't even turned 25. This league is full of late bloomers, so if his camp can't force his way to Wisconsin and there are still no takers, the Colts should seriously consider the thought of holding onto him.
Add us as a preferred source on Google