This could be the beginning of the end.
Colts make shock Anthony Richardson-Riley Leonard QB depth chart decision behind Daniel Jones originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
This could be the beginning of the end for the and Anthony Richardson.
On Sunday, Richardson won't be the Colts' backup quarterback. He's inactive as the emergency QB3.
The Colts have activated Riley Leonard, the sixth-round rookie out of Notre Dame, instead.
Richardson hurt his eye doing pregame warmup work with stretching bands, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.
In some ways, it's a subtle move, and it might not matter in Week 6. If Daniel Jones stays healthy, it won't matter who the Colts' backup quarterback is.
But it also signals a background changing of the guard.
Leonard is talented and a great runner, but he's remarkably far from a sure thing.
Richardson was the No. 4 overall pick in 2024. His pedigree from a draft status perspective is much higher than Leonard.
MORE: How Bo Nix's college journey set him up for Broncos success
But when Richardson lost the starting job this summer to the free agent signee Jones, it was a bad sign.
And this is a worse sign.
It's not clear whether Richardson has much trade value, with the trade deadline coming up in the first week of December.
But at this point, the Colts appear to have given up on him.
Leonard may not be the backup of the future, but he's the backup for now.
And that means Richardson's NFL future may just be in trouble.
More NFL News:
- Chargers add RB who hasn't played in NFL since 2022
- Chiefs seeking upgrade at key offensive position
- What Jets' RB Breece Hall has said about his trade rumors
- Packers facing Joe Flacco for 2nd time in 4 weeks
- Why Cowboys let Rico Dowdle leave for Panthers in free agency
- Mark Andrews trade could be in the cards for scuffling Ravens
Category: Football
