Anthony Richardson Trade Not Eyed by Colts After Daniel Jones QB1 Decision, GM Says

Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard ruled out a trade involving backup quarterback Anthony Richardson.

Ballard told reporters Wednesday the team continues to see a future for the 2023 first-round pick in Indianapolis:

Richardson is still only 23 as he approaches his third season in the NFL. He's the same age as 2025 No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward. There's time for him to put it all together and justify what the Colts invested in him.

Having said that, it's tough to look past Richardson's performance in 2023 and 2024, along with the fact that Indy decided Daniel Jones is a better option right now.

Between injuries and his midseason benching last year, Richardson has logged 15 starts so far. In those games, he has thrown for 2,391 yards, 11 touchdowns and 13 interceptions while completing 50.6 percent of his throws.

Now, the 6'4" signal-caller couldn't do enough to win the starting job over a veteran QB who has an overwhelming body of evidence showing he's average at best.

A similar situation emerged with the Carolina Panthers when they benched Bryce Young last fall. They insisted at the time they weren't throwing in the towel on the 2023 No. 1 overall pick. When Young was reinstalled as the starter weeks later, he showed tangible improvement.

Maybe the same thing happens with Richardson. That's clearly the outcome the Colts are rooting for because few teams need stability at quarterback more than them.

But this is probably the last year in which Ballard and team officials can sell the idea that the organization is behind Richardson without him delivering results on the field.