New Anthony Richardson Trade Rumors on QB's Value and Colts' Plan After 2026 NFL Draft

The Indianapolis Colts are reportedly planning to hang onto backup quarterback Anthony Richardson for now in hopes of receiving more favorable trade offers during training camp and the preseason.

During an appearance Thursday on SportsCenter, ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter laid out the Colts-Richardson situation and where things may ultimately lead.

"Right now, he's stuck in Indianapolis," Schefter said. "The value is not what the Colts would've wanted to make any potential trade. Rather than deal him away, the Colts figured it was best to hold onto him right now. Quarterbacks are currency; their value doesn't go down. And even though there was not a team willing to surrender the type of draft-pick compensation the Colts would want now doesn't mean that won't happen later in training camp.

"There could be injuries, there could be a team that a quarterback struggles, there might be somebody who's willing to pay more for Anthony Richardson in August than they were in April prior to or during the NFL draft. And so, the Colts made the decision to hold onto the former high 1st-round draft pick and not deal him. And they figure they'll move on with him on the roster and essentially address it later."

The Colts selected Richardson with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft out of Florida, but he hasn't come anywhere close to realizing his potential.

A shoulder injury limited Richardson to just four games as a rookie before he returned to start 11 games in 2024.

Although Richardson went 6-5 and rushed for 499 yards and six touchdowns, he largely struggled as a passer, completing just 47.7 percent of his attempts for 1,814 yards, eight touchdowns and 12 interceptions.

That compelled the Colts to sign veteran quarterback Daniel Jones during the ensuing offseason, and Jones was named the starter for 2026 well before the end of the preseason.

Richardson fractured his orbital bone in October, and he ended up appearing in only two games last season, going 1-of-2 for nine yards as a passer, and rushing four times for minus-1 yard.

Although Jones tore his Achilles in December, the Colts re-signed him this offseason, and the expectation is that he will be the starter once again in 2026.

In February, Richardson's agent Deiric Jackson informed ESPN's Stephen Holder that the Colts had given Richardson permission to seek a trade.

The Colts later declined the fifth-year option in Richardson's contract for 2027, meaning he is in line to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the 2026 campaign.

While Richardson was initially absent, Holder reported Monday that he reported to the Colts' voluntary offseason workouts despite his desire for a trade.

As Schefter mentioned, a major quarterback injury between now and the start of the regular season could make Richardson a much hotter commodity on the trade market, so it makes sense for Indy to take a wait-and-see approach.

Even if a trade never materializes, keeping Richardson for the entirety of the 2026 season isn't a bad option either, especially since the Colts could use some quality depth behind a quarterback who is coming off a torn Achilles.