When the Indianapolis Colts deployed the No. 4 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft to bring then-Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson into the fold, it was a swing-for-the-fences-type move. By then, it had been four seasons since Andrew Luck had stunningly retired, and Indy hoped to finally find an answer under center. What they hoped would be a home-run selection, however, proved to be a massive swing-and-a-miss.
Richardson was unable to establish himself as the Colts franchise centerpiece, and his time with the franchise appears to be nearing its end. Indianapolis declined to pick up Richardson’s fifth-year option last week, meaning he has just one year left on his rookie deal. While that serves as a drop-dead date for his tenure with the Colts, it could end sooner than that. Richardson requested a trade out of Indy earlier this offseason, and the Colts permitted him to speak with other teams. Thus far, no deal has crossed the wire.
Richardson is 8-7 over his 15 starts for the Colts. While he’s above .500, the eye test and the stats show a quarterback that struggles throwing the football, owning a 67.8 career passer rating and a 50.6% completion rate. Richardson also dealt with a fair share of injuries. He suffered a concussion along with a season-ending AC joint sprain as a rookie, and then was on injured reserve last year — while serving as the backup — due to an orbital bone fracture.
Maybe the most jarring moment of Richardson’s brief tenure with the Colts — and an unofficial nail in the coffin for any hope that he’ll be the franchise’s quarterback — came when he took himself out of a Week 8 matchup against the Texans in 2024 for one play due to fatigue.
With Daniel Jones now established as the Colts starter for the foreseeable future — especially after inking a two-year, $88 million contract extension back in March — what’s next for Richardson? Is there a path forward for the former Gator in the NFL? Let’s highlight the best-case and worst-case scenarios.
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Best-case scenario for Anthony Richardson
At this point, Richardson has no path towards becoming an immediate starter anywhere in the NFL. So, his next stop will see him in a backup role. If we’re playing out a possible best-case scenario for him, Richardson should look to the likes of Geno Smith, Sam Darnold and Daniel Jones as quarterbacks cast aside before resurrecting their careers.
For Richardson, he needs to be calculated about where he ends up next, whether that’s in a trade or via release and free agency. Ideally, he lands with an organization that has a history of developing quarterbacks and has a strong, offensive-minded coach. One example could be the Minnesota Vikings, as Kevin O’Connell has tapped multiple veteran quarterbacks in the past, including Darnold. However, the Vikings already have a crowded quarterback room with Kyler Murray signed earlier this offseason as the QB1 for 2026, while J.J. McCarthy and Carson Wentz make up the rest of the depth chart.
The Philadelphia Eagles — a team that always has an affinity for developing quarterbacks regardless of already having a starter in Jalen Hurts — is another option if Richardson opts to be a clear-cut backup and wants to hone his raw ability in the shadows. There, he’d hope to follow a Malik Willis-type trajectory, boosting his stock in spot appearances.
If Richardson wants a more immediate path towards possibly landing a starting job again, the Arizona Cardinals are without a bona fide starting quarterback. They have veteran Jacoby Brissett in-house as the incumbent starter from last season, but they went 1-11 with him as QB1 in 2025. They also drafted Carson Beck in the third round and signed Gardner Minshew in free agency. If Mike LaFleur wants to roll the dice on someone, Richardson’s ceiling is higher than anyone he currently has on his roster, albeit with a much lower floor.
The most intriguing landing spot? How about the Pittsburgh Steelers? While it’s still unclear what Aaron Rodgers will do, the Steelers operated this offseason seemingly under the assumption that he’ll play in 2026. This is a best-of-both-worlds option for Richardson if we’re determining a possible best-case scenario to revive his career.
If he were to land in Pittsburgh, he’d have no expectation to start in 2026 with Rodgers atop the depth chart. That mentioned, Rodgers is going to turn 43 at the end of next season, so there is no long-term roadblock in front of him. Richardson could develop for one season behind Rodgers, immerse himself in Mike McCarthy’s offense, and possibly compete for the starting job as early as next offseason. That’s an ideal blend of pure development and a path towards becoming a starter again. Similar to Arizona, the Steelers do have a crowded quarterback room with Mason Rudolph, Will Howard, and 2026 third-rounder Drew Allar in the fold (along with the looming return of Rodgers), but Richardson’s ceiling is higher than any of those other quarterbacks. Remember, Richardson will only turn 24 later this month, making him younger than Howard.
Worst-case scenario for Anthony Richardson
Unfortunately for Richardson, this feels like the more likely road. It’s abundantly clear that Richardson has been available throughout the offseason, but no one made a move to acquire him. That’s a bad sign for his future prospects, particularly amid an NFL Draft cycle in which the quarterback class was extremely weak, behind Fernando Mendoza and Ty Simpson. Instead of rolling the dice on a talent like Richardson — who likely would’ve cost a late Day 3 pick in a trade with the Colts — teams like the Cardinals opted for the likes of Carson Beck — who is older than Richardson — in the third round. Sheesh!
With that in mind, the worst-case scenario for Richardson has him out of the league in relatively fast fashion. If the Colts release him before Week 1 or he sits as a backup and hits unrestricted free agency next offseason, there’s a chance no team comes calling. There, he’d hope to be signed as a depth piece on a bloated 90-man offseason roster and to endear himself as a potential backup. However, he could just as easily peter out and be shown the door during final roster cuts. At that point, you’re talking about possible stints in the UFL or CFL.
