Teams Still Interested in Anthony Richardson Trade, But Nothing 'Imminent'

One of the major Indianapolis Colts storylines to come out of February's NFL Scouting Combine is that former top-five draft pick, quarterback Anthony Richardson Sr., was given permission by the team to seek a trade.

Following a tumultuous beginning to his career, the team and Richardson reached a mutual agreement that a trade would be a suitable way to move forward.

Through three seasons, the 23-year-old has barely been available for half of the Colts' games due to injuries. His rookie season ended early because of a shoulder injury. He missed four games with various injuries (plus a separate two-game benching) in 2024. His season even ended early in 2025 despite being the team's backup after a freak pregame incident left his eye severely injured.

Since the late-February news of being placed on the trade block, however, there has been very little development in Richardson's situation. ESPN's Colts reporter Stephen Holder, who broke the trade request story, now has an update.

"Update on Colts QB Anthony Richardson, who is available via trade. No deal is imminent, per multiple sources," Holder posted on X. "There are interested teams, but the dust is still settling from free agency. One particular team to monitor: the Green Bay Packers."

"Richardson, who has been given permission by the Colts to seek out a deal, would be attracted to a situation that pairs him with a proven QB developer," Holder continued. "There are several coaches out there that check that box, including (Packers head coach) Matt LaFleur."

While one commenter did push back on the notion that Richardson is already with a "proven QB developer" in Colts head coach Shane Steichen, Holder responded with strong context.

"Steichen is a top-tier offensive coach. But in retrospect, that’s a different issue," Holder responded. "He obviously helped accelerate Justin Herbert and Jalen Hurts, but they were VERY experienced college QBs. Much different than developing a raw prospect like Richardson or even Malik Willis."

To Holder's point, while Steichen has been partially credited with developing star NFL quarterbacks Justin Herbert and Jalen Hurts, both players were heavily experienced college quarterbacks who already had an understanding of what being a highly touted quarterback prospect entailed.

Richardson had limited college experience and had little pro pedigree to speak of. As for Malik Willis, the now-former Packers' backup quarterback under head coach Matt LaFleur, Willis came from a lower competition level at Liberty and flamed out with the Tennessee Titans as a third-round draft pick before getting the tutelage he needed from LaFleur & Co. in Green Bay. Now, Willis has been given a lucrative contract to become the Miami Dolphins' new quarterback.

There is a difference between developing a quarterback with raw tools from scratch and sending a polished player to the next level. Richardson, as Willis did, may need someone to rebuild him from the ground up.

With the first major wave of NFL free agency dying down, teams such as Green Bay or others can reexamine their quarterback situations and see if Richardson is suitable for them.

The 2026 NFL Draft is just over five weeks away, starting on Thurs., April 23. So, if the Colts hope to get present-year draft compensation in return for Richardson, a deal will need to be struck in the coming weeks.