Colts Comfortable With Retaining QB Anthony Richardson

The team plans to keep three passers on its active roster in response to the depth issues which arose in 2025. Daniel Jones‘ Achilles tear, coupled with the orbital fracture Richardson was dealing with at the time, resulted in Philip Rivers unretiring to close out the campaign. Indianapolis wants to avoid a repeat of that situation, something which further suggests Richardson will stay in place through roster cutdowns.

“We want to have three [quarterbacks] that can play,” assistant general manager Ed Dodds said (via ESPN’s Stephen Holder). “So, if [Richardson] is one of them, he’s going to be here… Look at last year. You never know.”

One season remains on Richardson’s rookie contract, and an acquiring team would only be responsible for paying his $1.15MM base salary in the event of a trade. Efforts to work out a swap earlier this offseason did not produce a deal, however, creating the strong chance of the former No. 4 pick staying in place for 2026. Richardson has only made 15 regular-season starts to date in his career, largely struggling when on the field.

The 24-year-old’s eye issue is believed to still be a source of hesitation on the part of suitors, a factor which could loom large in any upcoming trade talks. For now, Richardson is set to continue competing for the backup gig behind Jones. 2026 sixth-rounder Riley Leonard has drawn praise for his showings so far in training camp, although with just 67 pass attempts to his name in the regular season he is far from a known commodity with respect to QB depth.

There would be risk associated with keeping both Leonard and Richardson given their lack of a track record regarding NFL success and Jones’ missed time from 2025. A Richardson trade could help allow for a high-floor veteran to join the mix, but the likeliest scenario remains a fourth campaign in Indianapolis.