Should Matthew Stafford trade rumors spur Colts to take action?

The Indianapolis Colts have been struggling to find an answer at quarterback ever since they lost superstar Andrew Luck, who shocked the NFL with an unexpected retirement in 2019. Since then, general manager Chris Ballard have led the Colts on a quarterback carousel with no long-term solution to the position.

Anthony Richardson was supposed to be that solution; however, the youngest QB in the league has struggled, particularly in the last season. Though Richardson is known to be a monster of an athlete with enormous potential, his brief glimmers of brilliance have not been enough to offset his problems with accuracy and inexperience. For now, Richardson has at least one more chance to prove himself in Indianapolis, according to Ballard; however, Ballard also said that he is looking to bring in competition at quarterback.

Could LA Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, who seems to be looking for a trade, be the answer?

The Stafford trade situation

Stafford is, without a doubt, one of the best quarterbacks in the league right now. He has repeatedly led the Rams to the playoffs, and it seems that Stafford would be content to remain in Los Angeles... but only for the right price. Stafford is hoping to be paid upwards of $50 million, and the Rams have given him their blessing to see if any other teams might be interested in paying up.

It's fair for Stafford to expect to be paid what he feels he is worth, and let's be clear: he's a fantastic quarterback. But he's also 37, and for the Rams, the question becomes whether or not he actually is worth that much money. The Rams have to decide if it's worth risking a major injury or looming retirement to keep him around for another few years.

Yet while the Rams are apparently not willing to cough up Stafford's asking price, other teams are.

Will Stafford come to Indianapolis?

Some analysts have argued that Ballard should make a play for Stafford, and that with him, the Colts could become a Super Bowl-caliber team.

This, frankly, seems to be flawed thinking, and short-sighted to boot. Yes, Stafford would likely perform better than Richardson, but what then? Stafford's career in the NFL is winding down, and signing him would keep the quarterback carousel going for another few years, at least.

Additionally, signing a better quarterback would hardly solve all of the Colts' problems. While it's true that Richardson struggled in 2024, he also showed improvement after being benched, and he's already reportedly preparing a plan to solve his problems with accuracy and efficiency, working with the same biometric specialist responsible for Josh Allen's success.

It's also worth remembering that Richardson is far from the only problem in Indianapolis. In the second half of the season in particular, Richardson saw numerous dropped passes from his receivers and tight ends, all while head coach Shane Steichen called mind-boggingly terrible plays that prevented Richardson, and the Colts, from having any chance at success - as well as being completely out of touch with what was going on in his own locker room. Then, of course, there's the defense, which has its own myriad problems.

So, yes, the Colts might see some temporary improvement with Stafford at QB. But it's not a long-term solution. Indianapolis needs a quarterback who can become the future of the franchise, whether that's Richardson or someone else. Trying for immediate gratification didn't work in 2024 when the Colts replaced Richardson with Joe Flacco, and it won't work here with Stafford, either.