With roster cuts closing in and the preseason almost wrapped up, Anthony Richardson is once again sitting in the middle of quarterback chatter - this time as a possible trade target for teams looking for help under center.
FOX Sports NFL writer Steven Ruiz made the case in his QB Notebook on Monday, saying he still believes in the Colts former first-round pick even after another uneven showing. “I’m still not ready to give up on Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson, whose preseason tape has been a lot better than the numbers imply,” Ruiz stated. “Teams like Miami, Cleveland and Atlanta should give the Colts a call if Riley Leonard ends up winning the QB2 job behind Daniel Jones in Indy.”
Richardson’s latest outing came in Indianapolis’ 34-6 preseason loss to the Atlanta Falcons on Aug. 22, when he completed 3 of 9 passes for 24 yards and a 42.4 passer rating. He also added 15 rushing yards on three carries. Leonard, who is battling for the backup role, finished 7 of 14 for 62 yards with a 62.2 rating in that same game, according to multiple game reports including those from the Colts’ official site and Associated Press.
The appeal with Richardson has always been tied to more than the box score. In 11 games in 2024, he threw for 1,814 yards, completed 47.7 percent of his passes, and totaled eight touchdowns against 12 interceptions.
His passer rating was 61.6. But he also gave Indianapolis a real ground threat, piling up 499 rushing yards and six touchdowns on 86 carries while averaging 5.8 yards per attempt.
That blend of size, arm strength and movement ability is why Richardson’s name keeps coming up even after he asked for a trade earlier this offseason. He lost the starting job to Daniel Jones, and while the two sides looked into options, nothing came together. The Colts, according to the report, want to keep three quarterbacks and are not eager to move him unless the return is significant.
Shane Steichen added another wrinkle Tuesday, saying Richardson will start the preseason finale against the Detroit Lions on Saturday and play the first quarter, giving him another chance to work with parts of the starting offense, per reports from the Indianapolis Star.
Ruiz also pointed to a messy situation in Atlanta. Tua Tagovailoa and Michael Penix Jr. are competing for the Falcons’ starting job after Penix cleared full practice work this week following a 2025 ACL injury.
Meanwhile, undrafted free agent Jack Strand, out of Division II Minnesota State-Moorhead, turned heads in the win over Indianapolis with 212 passing yards and a rushing touchdown. Ruiz suggested Strand might be the best quarterback on the Falcons’ roster right now based on the tape.
Miami is listed with Malik Willis as the projected starter after signing him to a multi-year deal in free agency. Cleveland named Deshaun Watson its Week 1 starter over Shedeur Sanders on Monday, though questions about the long-term outlook at the position remain because of Watson’s injury history and contract situation.
For now, Richardson’s future is tied to what happens in the next few days. If Leonard locks down the backup job, the Colts could start getting calls. If not, Indianapolis may simply keep him in the mix and let Saturday’s snaps do the talking.
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