INDIANAPOLIS — The Colts have no current plans to trade Anthony Richardson following his benching for Joe Flacco this week, a team source told IndyStar.
The NFL trade deadline is 4 p.m. ET Tuesday.
Naturally, some around the league will inquire about the No. 4 pick in the 2023 draft, who was benched last Tuesday after just 10 career starts.
The decision goes back on an organization-wide promise to allow Richardson to learn the job and build his accuracy on the field, and coach Shane Steichen is presenting this as a season-long change as of right now.
Richardson appeared to be blindsided by the news and initially wasn’t clear on what changed.
“I’m using this moment as an opportunity to grow and just learn from my mistakes,” Richardson said.
MORE: ‘I was like, Wow’: How Colts found out Anthony Richardson was benched and their reaction
Dating back to his pre-draft meetings with the Colts, Richardson has been under the impression that he’d learn through game reps.
If that’s still his mindset, or if he has lost faith in the plan over him, it’s always possible he could request a trade, but the news remains fresh.
Based on historical precedent, if the Colts did consider trading Richardson, they could look to the deal the 49ers made with Trey Lance, where they acquired a fourth-round pick from the Cowboys. That move came in Lance’s third season, after Brock Purdy had taken command of the starting quarterback job for the short-term and long-term.
The Colts are not in a similar spot, as the benching just happened a week ago, and they could re-insert Richardson at some point. After all, Flacco is in his 17th season.
“I still believe he’s the future of this team,” captain and linebacker Zaire Franklin said. “I know that sounds crazy to everybody right now, but that’s something I still believe, that he’s the future of the Indianapolis Colts.”
Teams are likely to make calls this week anyway, as Richardson’s theoretical trade value is at its lowest, and short- and long-term quarterback needs are always present in the NFL.
The Giants have a need with Daniel Jones’ struggles since signing a long-term extension. Brian Daboll earned the job by developing Josh Allen from a player who completed 52% of his passes as a rookie to the MVP runner-up by his third season. From a purely athletic and accuracy standpoint, Allen has been used as a comparison for Richardson’s potential ceiling.
The Seahawks had strong interest in drafting Richardson as an eventual heir to Geno Smith, a source close to Richardson told IndyStar.
The Panthers benched Bryce Young before bringing back the No. 1 overall pick as an injury replacement for Andy Dalton. Carolina chose Young ahead of Richardson in the 2023 draft, but it now has a different general manager and coach.
The Raiders have made a couple of quarterback changes already this season and are back to starting Gardner Minshew, who was Richardson’s teammate last season in Indianapolis.
When is NFL trade deadline?
Tuesday, Nov. 5.
When does NFL trade deadline end?
4 p.m. on Nov. 5.
Colts 2025 NFL draft picks
The Colts have all seven of their own picks in the 2025 NFL draft and no additional picks at this time.
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