ESPN speculates Colts QB Anthony Richardson ‘open’ to trade to top play calling team

According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, Indianapolis Colts quarterback is an intriguing trade candidate ahead of early November’s league deadline—as he could be reportedly ‘open’ to going to a top offensive playcaller:

“Outside of that, there’s not a clear-cut need for teams, barring injury. One intriguing option is Anthony Richardson Sr., who is stuck behind Daniel Jones in Indianapolis,” writes Fowler.

“My sense is Richardson would be open to joining a premier playcaller such as Sean McVay as a developmental player so he can reset for 2026.”

Honestly, this doesn’t seem like necessarily new information, as Fowler and his ESPN colleague Dan Graziano previously reported that the since demoted 3rd-year quarterback and his representation “broached the idea of a trade with Colts general manager Chris Ballard”—although they weren’t demanding it at that time.

If I were an NFL quarterback looking to continue my development elsewhere with elite level coaching, it would make sense to go to a ‘quarterback whisperer’ of sorts with either the Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Rams, Minnesota Vikings, or San Francisco 49ers—if given the potential option.

However, one could make the case that such a list of quarterback gurus includes Colts head coach Shane Steichen, who’s had prior success with Justin Herbert, Jalen Hurts, and even turned quarterback Gardner Minshew into a first-time career Pro Bowler with Indianapolis back in 2023.

Given reclamation project Daniel Jones’s initial success, and it’s a fair question of whether the issue is not Steichen, but rather Richardson’s inability to master the offense and take his craft seriously enough.

This honestly seems like a national media created story—and possible public distraction for the Colts, who so far are off to a hot start at 3-1 and were a few 2nd half mishaps last weekend on the road against the Rams from remaining undefeated at 4-0.

At any rate though, I do think it’s too early to safely declare that Jones is the long-term answer for the Colts after just 4 starts, so that Richardson’s presence now becomes an afterthought and luxury.

One, because it’s not the first time that Jones has shown flashes of exceptional quarterback play. After all, he once earned a 4-year, $160M contract extension back in March of 2023. The sample size here is still pretty limited. Two, he hasn’t necessarily been the gold standard for durability during his 7-year NFL career, and given his utilized mobility, it makes sense to have a capable backup.