Anthony Richardson Trade Rumor: Top 3 landing spots for the former No. 4 overall pick by the Colts
The highly drafted Indianapolis Colts quarterback has fallen completely out of favor, even with Daniel Jones coming off of an Achilles injury.
When the Indianapolis Colts made Anthony Richardson the fourth overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft , it was very much considered a high-risk, high-reward selection. Two years into Richardson's NFL career, the arrow was pointing to the risky part rearing its ugly head. Then came the 2025 season, which turned into an utter disaster for the young QB .
Veteran Daniel Jones handily beat out Richardson in the Colts' quarterback competition, then proceeded to turn Indy's offense into one of the best in the league. Jones ended up tearing his Achilles in early December, but by that point, Richardson was on injured reserve due to a fractured orbital bone suffered during a pregame warmup on October 13 .
Teams calling Indianapolis Colts with hopes of trading for Anthony Richardson
Heading into the 2026 season, Jones has rehabbed well and comes in as the clear-cut starter. While many might assume Richardson will be the backup, Riley Leonard is competing with him for the second-string job . As it turns out, that competition might not end up having a conclusion.
That's because a report from Benjamin Allbright suggests Richardson could be on the move "in the next few weeks", as teams have called the Colts with interest in trading for him . With that in mind, these three teams could make sense for Richardson and would be the best potential fits when considering his short-term and long-term future.
The New York Jets have been starving for quarterbacks for quite a while. They're heading into the 2026 season with much-maligned Geno Smith as the starter, while fourth round pick Cade Klubnik is the backup. With Smith on a one-year contract, Richardson could set himself up to compete for the starting job in 2027 there.
Baker Mayfield is fully entrenched as the starting QB, but the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have refused to commit to him with a long-term contract that he was asking for this offseason. With really only Jake Browning behind Mayfield, Richardson could easily win the second-string job this season and replace Mayfield in 2027 if everything goes perfectly.
The Atlanta Falcons have a quarterback conundrum of their own. Michael Penix Jr. hasn't shown much so far in his NFL career, and Tua Tagovailoa has been terrible in preseason - and could be traded away soon. There would be an easy pathway for Richardson to make a name for himself in Atlanta.
