The Indianapolis Colts may already have two quarterbacks penciled in for 2026, but the third spot could turn into a real opening if Anthony Richardson’s situation goes the wrong way.
Daniel Jones and Riley Leonard look like the safest bets to make the roster. Richardson is the wild card.
He has not rescinded his request to be traded, and if that changes, the move could come three days after training camp begins. In that scenario, his new team would owe him only $1.1 million for the coming season.
If Richardson is moved, the Colts could turn to Easton Stick, the former Los Angeles Chargers quarterback they signed in June. Stick is not exactly a proven NFL answer, but he does bring one thing other fringe quarterbacks don’t: a direct connection to Shane Steichen.
Steichen was the Chargers’ offensive coordinator when Los Angeles selected Stick in the fifth round of the 2019 draft out of North Dakota State. He coached Stick for two seasons before leaving for the Philadelphia Eagles. Stick remained with the Chargers through 2024 and even got on the field late in 2023.
His most extended run came when he started four games for the injured Justin Herbert. The Chargers lost all four, but Stick did throw three touchdowns against just one interception.
That kind of résumé does not scream long-term starter, and if Stick is on the Colts’ 53-man roster ahead of 2026, the expectation would be that he stays buried on the depth chart. Jones would be the starter, Leonard the backup, and Stick would only see action in lopsided games or if disaster struck ahead of him.
Richardson is unlikely to be cut, since the Colts would save nothing against the cap by waiving him. A trade, though, would give Indianapolis some flexibility, and it would also leave Stick with the clearest path to QB3.
Steichen’s familiarity with Stick matters here. He was part of the evaluation process when the Chargers drafted him in 2019, so if the Colts ever need him, the head coach should already have a good sense of how to use him.
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