Anthony Richardson's Agent, Colts GM Reportedly 'Broached' Idea of Trade in Meeting

Before the Indianapolis Colts announced they wouldn't be trading Anthony Richardson after he lost the quarterback battle to Daniel Jones, the topic was brought up between general manager Chris Ballard and the third-year quarterback.

Per ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, the idea of a trade was "broached" when Ballard and Richardson met in person last week to discuss Richardson's standing with the organization.

Fowler noted no formal trade request was made during the meeting.

The meeting between Richardson and Ballard came about after Richardson's agent, Deiric Jackson, told ESPN's Stephen Holder on Aug. 19 that trust with the Colts was "questionable" because they felt like Richardson did everything the organization asked in the offseason and training camp to warrant being the starter.

Richardson's public comments at least suggest he wasn't angered by head coach Shane Steichen's decision to go with Daniel Jones as QB1.

"[Steichen] made a decision," Richardson said. "That's the decision we've got to live with, but no hard feelings, nothing personal. I've just got to keep growing. I just can't let me not being a starter stop me from going and being the person, the player that I'm supposed to be."

Speaking to reporters on Aug. 27, Ballard said the Colts received interest from other teams in Richardson but "we're not trading him."

According to Fowler, one source of frustration among Richardson's camp is "that all parties acknowledge patience" when he was originally drafted with the fourth overall pick in 2023.

Richardson wowed everyone with his top-of-the-charts physical traits leading up to the draft two years ago, but his lack of reps in college made it apparent he would be a developmental project.

During his three seasons at Florida, Richardson only attempted 393 passes. He completed 53.8 percent of his attempts as a full-time starter in 2022.

A lack of consistent reps has continued to be a problem for Richardson in the NFL due primarily to injuries. He has missed 19 games over the past two seasons, including 13 during his rookie campaign.

There was also a lot of blowback on Richardson when he tapped himself out of a Week 8 game against the Houston Texans. Steichen benched him in favor of Joe Flacco for the next two games.

Now, with Steichen and Ballard entering a season in which they could both be fighting to keep their jobs, the Colts will be banking on Jones to help them improve after an 8-9 record from the 2024 season.

Retaining Richardson is a smart move because Jones' history suggests he won't significantly raise the floor for quarterback play in Indianapolis, but it's hard for the 23-year-old to develop if he remains on the bench for an extended period of time.