Ian Rapoport says Anthony Richardson’s future in Indianapolis looks just about finished, and the next stop may come with a bigger question than his next playbook: how well he can see.
Richardson has already been cleared after the eye injury he suffered last year in a bizarre training accident, when a resistance band snapped and sent equipment into his face, fracturing his orbital bone. But Rapoport said there are still real concerns about his ability to track the rush and pick out receivers once he’s back on the field.
The Colts, for their part, are saying they’re comfortable carrying three quarterbacks on the final roster and don’t want to simply hand Richardson away. At the same time, they’ve been working with him this offseason on his trade request.
Richardson is 24 and entered the NFL after his redshirt sophomore season in 2022, his first year as a full-time starter at Florida. Indianapolis made him the No. 4 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
He signed a four-year, $36,874,031 deal that included a $23,817,477 signing bonus, and he is set to become an unrestricted free agent in 2027.
His Colts tenure has already been interrupted by major injuries. Richardson had season-ending shoulder surgery to repair his AC joint after going down in Week 5 of his rookie year, and then he missed significant time in 2025 because of the eye injury.
In 2025, Richardson played in two games and completed one of two passes for nine yards.
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Colts Suddenly Have A Daniel Jones Problem They Cant Ignore
Daniel Jones has been giving the Colts a steady showing at training camp, and that matters more than ever for a team trying to build some confidence behind center. The problem is what comes next. Indianapolis has been rotating the QB2 reps between Riley Leonard and Anthony Richardson, and the early returns have left the staff with more questions than answers about who could keep the offense on schedule if Jones were to miss time.
Offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter has already pointed to the uneven play from the backups, and the concern is less about one bad day than about a pattern that has surfaced throughout camp. Leonard has had stretches where he looks fine, then slips out of rhythm, while Richardson has continued to battle the kinds of mistakes that can stall an offense in a hurry. For a team that needs real depth at quarterback, the Colts are still waiting for one of those options to show he can be trusted. [Read more 🡒]
Riley Leonard Faces A Colts Backup QB Test That Could Change Everything
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What makes the fight so interesting is how much of it comes down to the details that separate a camp standout from a backup quarterback the staff can trust. Leonard has focused on sharpening his pre-snap decision-making and getting quicker after the snap, areas that often decide whether a young passer moves forward or stalls out. The Colts are still sorting out the position, and Leonards path to the job may hinge on whether his recent promise turns into the kind of clean, repeatable execution that keeps coaches leaning his way. [Read more 🡒]
Pat McAfee Calls Out Colts Hype After Brutal AFC South Outlook
Pat McAfee is not buying the early optimism around the Colts, and his pushback lands at a time when the roster still feels like a work in progress. Indianapolis spent aggressively enough this offseason to invite bigger expectations, yet the market has the Colts at +380 to win the AFC South and pegged at a 7.5-win total, a combination that hardly suggests division favorite status.
The quarterback situation has at least looked steadier, with Daniel Jones signing an extension and turning in a strong camp, but the offense is still waiting on more clarity elsewhere. Alec Pierce is recovering from ankle surgery and does not have a set return date, leaving one of the teams top receiving options in limbo as the Colts try to turn offseason investment into something more convincing by opening day. [Read more 🡒]