For the Audio Version, CLICK HERE
It’s safe to say that Anthony Richardson never lived up to the expectations of the Indianapolis Colts or their fans. Since the team made one of the biggest reaches in NFL Draft history, selecting the quarterback out of the University of Florida with the fourth overall pick in 2023, he has struggled with injuries and poor play. In two NFL seasons, he’s played only 15 games, completing 50.6% of his passes and throwing 11 touchdowns to 13 interceptions. For now, it seems like he’s run out of chances.
Head coach Shane Steichen named Daniel Jones not just the starter for the team’s week one matchup against the Miami Dolphins on September 7, but actually said, “He’s the starting quarterback for the season. I don’t want to have a short leash on that.”
Richardson is a physical freak, at 6’4 and 244 pounds. He has elite speed for a quarterback and an arm that is among the best in the league. His physical tools have never been the problem. It’s his ability to play the position that seems to be in question. The Colts have answered the question by simply saying “He can’t play the position,” and it’s brought to the surface a new question. Where does he go from here?
It’s clear that Richardson’s best shot at redemption is watching someone else play the position. It’s still possible that it could be in Indianapolis, considering Jones did not set the world on fire as a starter for the New York Giants. Last season, he completed 63.3% of his passes for 207 yards per game, managing eight touchdowns to seven interceptions before being benched for a combination of Drew Lock and Tommy DeVito. There’s no reason to expect much success from him with the Colts, and long leash or not, Richardson still has a chance to start for the Colts.
Assuming Indianapolis wants to move on completely from Richardson, ensuring their current starter doesn’t have to look over his shoulder every time he throws a pick, there are a number of other teams where Richardson could be traded, and possibly see the field in 2025. Assuming he’s willing to swallow his pride and gladly carry a clipboard, he could ask to be traded to a team with a quarterback who poses an injury risk.
The Miami Dolphins come to mind. If Tua Tagovailoa is healthy, he’s one of the top quarterbacks in the league, but he’s never healthy. Going into his sixth season with Miami, Tagovailoa has played all 17 games just once and missed six games last season. Behind him on the depth chart are another draft bust in Zach Wilson and rookie Quinn Ewers. An “offensive guru” like Mike McDaniel may love to have a toy with Richardson’s physical tools, but he also may believe his current backups are better.
Two teams with undersized quarterbacks would be the Arizona Cardinals and the Carolina Panthers. When Kyler Murray is healthy, he displays an arm every bit as good as Richardson’s, but he’s far more accurate (career 67.1% completion percentage). He did play in all 17 games last season, but 19 total games in the two seasons prior combined. The Cardinals’ backup plan is Jacoby Brissett, so getting a young phenom like Richardson behind Murray could be appealing.
The Panthers keep giving Bryce Young more chances. He was benched at the start of last season, in favor of Andy Dalton, but he took over in a week 8 loss to the Denver Broncos and never looked back. Young started the last 10 games of the season, going 4-6, completing 61.8% of his passes and throwing 15 touchdowns to just six interceptions. He showed flashes of why he was the number one overall pick in 2023, but unlike Jones with the Colts, Young will be on a short leash.
Dalton is injured, and if the Panthers do choose to yank on Young’s leash, it’s unlikely they will actually turn to newly signed UFL quarterback, Bryce Perkins. Richardson could be a nice option to back up the former Alabama standout, and could get a chance to lead the team if the undersized signal caller gets hurt or, more likely, gets benched again.
A wild card option for Richardson could be the Los Angeles Rams. Matt Stafford is hurt, and Stetson Bennett is not the team’s long-term answer. Sean McVey is supposedly a genius, so he could potentially resurrect the career of a player with Richardson’s talent as the Rams look to the next chapter. The only issue is whether the next chapter features McVey at the helm?
The phone is sure to be ringing off the hook in the Colts’ front office following the Jones announcement, but they may be hesitant to answer. Drafting a quarterback too high, that doesn’t develop, is a good recipe for a general manager losing their job. The only thing that could make that happen faster would be trading that same quarterback to another team and watching him flourish in a different system.
If you enjoyed this article, subscribe to our newsletter here. Check out Stadium Rant Original shows on our Youtube channel and subscribe! Give our socials Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok a follow for more great content!
