New Anthony Richardson Trade Rumors Reveal Type of Coach He Wants to Play For in Colts Exit

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson Sr. knows having the right coach could go a long way toward reviving his career should he get traded.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported Thursday that Richardson is "looking for an extension of the McVay-Shanahan-LaFleur tree from which to learn."

The NFL insider cited Malik Willis' progress with the Green Bay Packers and coach Matt LaFleur and posited that would be a good setting for Richardson.

Willis is a good example of why it would be premature to write off the idea of the Colts signal-caller bouncing back in a new setting.

The Tennessee Titans traded Willis to Green Bay ahead of the 2024 season after a pair of forgettable seasons. As the backup to Jordan Love, the 2022 third-round pick showed a lot of progress and parlayed that into a three-year $67.5 million deal with the Miami Dolphins.

There's no getting around how rough Richardson's first three years in the pros have been.

Injuries have limited him to 17 appearances, and his performance when he did play has left a lot to be desired. He has thrown for 2,400 yards, 11 touchdowns and 13 interceptions while completing just 50.6 percent of his attempts.

The Colts benched Richardson midway through the 2024 campaign due to both his production and a general lack of understanding of what was required of him behind the scenes as an NFL quarterback. He resumed starting duties, but his reputation hasn't fully recovered from that.

Indy re-signed to Daniel Jones on a two-year contract this offseason. While that doesn't represent a firm long-term commitment, it signaled the organization's preference under center.

There's no chance that Richardson can immediately be a starter on another team right now. A new coach who knows how to fully utilize his skill set can at least help him progress during on-field workouts and practices.

That would provide the 23-year-old with something to build on in the event he's thrust back into QB1 duties like Willis was with the Packers.