Anthony Richardson, one of the NFL’s most physically tantalizing quarterbacks, is now available via trade. The Indianapolis Colts reportedly gave the fourth overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft permission to pursue a trade.Â
The 23-year-old was beaten out in a training camp battle with Daniel Jones last preseason, and the Colts are expected to re-sign Jones to a multi-year contract this offseason. Richardson has a small body of work across three seasons in the NFL, playing just 17 games with 15 of them being starts. A shoulder injury cut his rookie year short after four games. A combination of hip, back and foot injuries limited Richardson to 11 games and he only threw two passes in 2025. A freak eye injury he suffered in warmups prior to the Colts’ Week 6 game caused an orbital fracture that necessitated surgery after an accident with a resistance band. Richardson has completed 50.6% of his passes for 2,400 yards, 11 touchdown passes and 13 interceptions in his 17 games of work.
Richardson’s rocket launcher right arm is why he’ll certainly garner interest on the trade market: he led the NFL with a 14.4 yards per completion average in 2024. However, he’s also a project as he completed just 47.7% of his passes that year, the worst completion percentage in a season since Tim Tebow completed just 46.5% of his throws for the Denver Broncos in 2011. That makes Richardson the first player to rank first in yards per completion and last in completion percentage in the same season since Heath Shuler in 1994.Â
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Which teams could be interested enough to take the plunge required to trade for the former top-five pick quarterback as he enters the fourth and final season of his rookie deal? Let’s take a look at five possible landing spots.
Minnesota VikingsÂ
Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell helped revive the careers of two other former top 10 pick quarterbacks in Sam Darnold and Daniel Jones in 2024 only to see both of them walk in free agency. Darnold went on to win Super Bowl LX in his first season with the Seattle Seahawks, and Jones was in the NFL MVP conversation in the first half of the 2025 season before injuries derailed him.
O’Connell let both of those guys out of his building because he had the 2024 10th overall pick in quarterback J.J. McCarthy waiting in the wings. However, his first year as an NFL starting quarterback can be described as highly concerning.Â
McCarthy ranked dead last in the NFL in completion percentage (58%), touchdown-interception (11-12) and passer rating (72.6) in 2025 despite working with O’Connell and being able to throw passes to 2022 NFL Offensive Player of the Year wide receiver Justin Jefferson. Perhaps Minnesota would be interested in bringing in another formerly highly-touted prospect to push and/or overtake McCarthy. When mic’d up in a game in which the Vikings played the Colts, O’Connell gave Richardson an extended pep talk. The interest in Richardson could very well still exist for the Vikings now.
Los Angeles Rams
Matthew Stafford, the 2025 NFL MVP, is 38-years-old. He certainly isn’t looking to retire in 2026 after leading the league in passing yards (4,707) and passing touchdowns (46) in 2025. However, it could be prudent for Los Angeles to begin building a contingency plan for life after Stafford. A quarterback with Richardson’s eye-popping traits working with one of the NFL’s top scheme lords could bring the 23-year-old’s pro career back to life, and he could allow Los Angeles to not skip a beat post-Stafford after some refinement with McVay.Â
Pittsburgh Steelers
Aaron Rodgers is 42-years-old and set to be a free agent in March. The Pittsburgh Steelers need to be planning for life after Rodgers as early as 2026. Trading for Richardson and having him rebuild his fundamentals with new Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy could be an ideal situation for the 23-year-old. McCarthy famously helped Rodgers tweak his mechanics in the NFL, which helped transform him into a Super Bowl and league MVP. Perhaps McCarthy could rebuild Richardson in his “QB school” program, which could result in big plays downfield to two-time Pro Bowl wide receiver DK Metcalf.
Atlanta FalconsÂ
The Atlanta Falcons are loaded with offensive talent with 2025 first team All-Pro running back Bijan Robinson, former top-10 pick wide receiver Drake London and 2025 second-team All-Pro tight end Kyle Pitts. All they need is a long-term solution at the quarterback position.Â
Kirk Cousins is expected to be released in March, and the 2024 eighth overall pick quarterback Michael Penix Jr. suffered the third ACL tear of his football career, his first in the NFL, in Week 11 against the Carolina Panthers. Penix might not even be ready to roll for Week 1 this season.Â
Richardson is two years younger than Penix, so he could be a tantalizing option for new head coach Kevin Stefanski and new president of football operations Matt Ryan.Â
Miami DolphinsÂ
The Miami Dolphins are Green Bay Packers South after hiring Green Bay defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley as their new head coach and Packers vice president of player personnel Jon-Eric Sullivan as their new general manager. Both of them witnessed the rehabilitation of 2022 third-round pick quarterback Malik Willis in Green Bay across the last two seasons, and he will now be a sought-after free agent this offseason. Perhaps they will try to hit the jackpot again with an athletic quarterback project by trading for Richardson, as Tua Tagovailoa’s time as the Dolphins’ starting quarterback seemingly comes to an end in the near future. Â
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