The Indianapolis Colts have a lot of questions to get answers to this offseason. The team hopes to re-sign Daniel Jones, but there is no guarantee that will happen. Unless he is franchise-tagged, Jones is free to go to any quarterback-needy team.
Indy drafted Riley Leonard in the sixth round last year, and while he didn't get many chances to play, he was quite good against a great Houston Texans defense in Week 18. Some might think he could eventually start full-time one day, so why stunt his growth as QB3 for another season?
This means something would need to happen with Anthony Richardson, assuming he is healthy enough to play. Richardson suffered a broken orbital bone in pregame warmups for Week 6 when an exercise band broke, and the bar struck him in the face. He might literally have better luck with another team.
Potential landing spots if the Indianapolis Colts trade Anthony Richardson this offseason
Indianapolis is very unlikely to release Richardson if he is healthy enough to play, though. Instead, the team might trade him for (hopefully) a mid-round draft pick. But where could he go?
Pittsburgh Steelers
What the Steelers will do this offseason is anyone's guess. Pittsburgh isn't used to having to look for a head coach, and Mike Tomlin just stepped down after 19 years. The Steelers historically haven't gone with an offensive-minded head coach, but prefer a more conservative approach.
But again, anything can happen with the Steelers this season. What seems certain is that Aaron Rodgers won't be back. Will Richardson fit what the new head coach wants to do? Maybe. AR5's humble personality is at least a good fit in Pittsburgh.
Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins are quite the mess right now. The team is looking for a new head coach, and starting quarterback Tua Tagovaloa has received a lot of pushback because he is so inconsistent. Richardson in Miami makes sense, too, especially if the team wants to do a bit of a rebuild, because he might be extra motivated to play in front of family (he's from Florida, after all).
Quinn Ewers was named the Dolphins' starter at the end of the year and wasn't terrible. The assumption is that Miami could acquire Richardson, and the then-former Colts quarterback could compete for the starting job.
Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota cannot be sure that JJ McCarthy is their answer to being QB1 for the foreseeable future. He was good at times and terrible at others in 2025, often in the same game. Could quarterback whisperer Kevin O'Connell work his magic with Richardson? If anyone can, it is likely him.
Of course, the Vikings hope that in McCarthy's second healthy season (he missed all of his rookie season with a knee injury), he can make a jump toward being good. Richardson would simply be his backup, though O'Connell could fit him in on some gimmicky plays due to his athleticism.
New Orleans Saints
The Saints may have their long-term quarterback in Tyler Shough, as he played much better at the end of the season, but New Orleans might also look for a backup quarterback with potential. Richardson is nothing if not full of potential. Of course, that could be potential awfulness.
Most likely, the Colts quarterback simply needs a change of scenery. Too many bad-luck things have happened to him with Indianapolis, besides the fact that he just hasn't been good in Shane Steichen's system. Sometimes, moving teams is all a player needs to restart their career.