Colts could make surprising Anthony Richardson Sr. decision amid trade rumors?

Individuals within the Indianapolis Colts aren't hiding that they want Daniel Jones to remain the club's starting quarterback through at least the 2026 season. Meanwhile, backup signal-caller and 2023 first-round draft choice Anthony Richardson Sr. seems to have no long-term future with the organization.

While speaking with reporters at the NFL Scouting Combine on Tuesday, Colts general manager Chris Ballard suggested he may not give up on Richardson quite yet. 

Colts still "like" Anthony Richardson Sr.?

"I see a future, yeah," Ballard said about the state of Richardson's Indianapolis tenure, per Myles Simmons of Pro Football Talk. "I’m not going to — kind of like with any player, you never know what’s going to happen. And things change. But, yeah. We like Anthony."

A recent report indicated that it is "inevitable" that Richardson will look to receive a fresh start with a different club. He missed 17 regular-season games due to injuries from 2023 through the 2024 campaign, lost the competition for the Indianapolis starting job last summer and then suffered an orbital fracture during a pregame warmup ahead of the Colts' Week 6 contest this past fall. 

On Tuesday, Ballard said that Richardson is "getting better" and has "been cleared to play football." That should mean Richardson is also cleared to be traded to an interested team. 

Jones is on track to become an unrestricted free agent when the new league year opens on March 11, but Ballard seems confident the two sides could work something out before the March 3 deadline for teams to utilize their franchise tags arrives. Ballard also hinted that Richardson has matured from the player the 23-year-old was when he took himself out of a game because he was "tired" during the 2024 season. 

Why Colts are "proud" of Anthony Richardson Sr.

"I’m proud of him," Ballard added about Richardson. "I’m proud of Anthony, man. I mean, here’s a guy that’s had to deal with a lot of injury stuff that happens. Unfortunate accident with his eye. He doesn’t win the job, Daniel wins the job. I think the one thing that I don’t know everybody appreciates about Anthony — I do and I know some of his teammates do — he’s a really good teammate. Positive, wants to do the right things. So, it’s trending in the right direction. Still got a ways to go, but he’s cleared to play. And the eye’s getting better. So, we’ll just work from there." 

Until the Colts officially retain Jones' rights, it's fair to wonder if Ballard could view Richardson as a break-glass-in-case-of-emergency option. That said, it still feels as if it's a matter of when and not if Richardson will have a new NFL home.