Will the Indianapolis Colts finally move quarterback Anthony Richardson Sr.?
One of the biggest shoes still to drop for the Indianapolis Colts this offseason is the potential trade of quarterback Anthony Richardson Sr.
After a tumultuous first three seasons in the NFL, the former fourth-overall draft pick was given permission to seek a trade back in February.
While there has been much speculation about potential trade suitors, free agency needed to come and sort out the NFL's quarterback landscape first.
Malik Willis, Justin Fields, Geno Smith, Gardner Minshew, and Andy Dalton all found new homes, while Daniel Jones, Marcus Mariota, Carson Wentz, Joe Flacco, Tyler Huntley, and Trey Lance all stayed put.
Now, Richardson is one of the last remaining needle-movers to be sorted out. Brent Sobleski of Bleacher Report predicts that Richardson will soon be traded to the Green Bay Packers for a Day 3 draft pick (Rounds 4-7) in the 2026 NFL Draft, which begins April 23.
"As the old saying goes: 'Where there's smoke, there's fire.' In this particular case, a match between Anthony Richardson and the Green Bay Packers almost seems destined," Sobleski wrote.
"'Green Bay, which did a tremendous job of developing Malik Willis after acquiring him from Tennessee for next to nothing, was the other team rival front offices pointed to the most as a landing spot for Richardson,' Jason La Canfora reported for SportsBoom," per Sobleski.
"One NFL general manager told La Canfora: 'Green Bay, I bet, brings him in.'
"Also, ESPN's Stephen Holder specifically identified the Packers as 'one particular team to monitor' in regards to Richardson's trade market," Sobleski continued
Sobleski then mentions Green Bay's quarterback depth behind starter Jordan Love, which isn't irreplaceable, with Desmond Ridder and Kyle McCord as potential motivating factors.
"General manager Chris Ballard will almost certainly move Richardson at a steeply discounted price, likely a Day 3 draft pick," Sobleski predicts. "The Packers can capitalize by bringing in another underdeveloped, top-shelf athlete and let head coach Matt LaFleur and offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich get back in the lab and go to work."
While it hasn't happened yet, the Colts trading Richardson as the draft nears seems inevitable. The recovery from last year's season-ending eye injury could be one thing that's held things up, but deadlines spur action, and the draft is a hard deadline if the Colts want to get back any sort of immediate compensation.
Green Bay is the most commonly mentioned potential suitor for Richardson, but when Colts general manager Chris Ballard trades players, he tends to do so with their best interests in mind, which can reduce the return the Colts get.
There are still some teams remaining with question marks at starting quarterback, but Richardson is just as likely to go somewhere behind an established starter and develop.