Anthony Richardson brushes off potential awkwardness of return to Colts

The Anthony Richardson era has not worked out as planned for the Indianapolis Colts. Now that he has lost the starting job and the team is committed to Daniel jones for the foreseeable future, Richardson requested a trade this offseason and wanted a fresh start elsewhere.

No trade ever came together.

Now Richardson is back with the Colts and is working with the team during OTAs. 

While that could easily be an awkward situation given the trade request, Richardson insisted on Wednesday that it is not and he is just trying to do what he can for the team while he is there.

Anthony Richardson brushes off awkwardness following trade request

Said Richardson:

“No, I don’t think so. I signed a contract. I was still on this team before the trade stuff. I’ve got an obligation to this team to come out here, play perform, and be ready to play if they need me. I don’t think it’s weird or awkward.”

Richardson refused to say whether or not he is still seeking a trade. 

The Colts selected him with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft in the hopes he could solve their revolving-door situation at quarterback.

While he has flashed immense talent and potential, and owns one of the strongest arms in the league, injuries and inconsistency with accuracy have severely limited his ability to make an impact. He has thrown some of the prettiest deep balls in the league, but he struggles to hit the shorter and mid-level throws. He has game-changing ability when running the ball, but he has a reckless approach to it and has a tendency to take more hits than he should. 

All of it is a tough combination, made worse by the fact the Colts offensive line struggled to protect him when he was the team's starter.

There is still a possibility that some quarterback-needy team will want to take a chance on him at some point. The talent is tantalizing and there are enough coaches in the NFL who will think they can work with that. Especially given how many quarterbacks have struggled with their initial teams in tough situations only to succeed in a new environment. 

Until somebody takes that chance, he is a Colt and competing with Riley Leonard to be the team's No. 2 quarterback. He is also doing his part to be a pro and not make it awkward. That's probably all the Colts can ask for at this point.