Colts Give Anthony Richardson Sr. Permission to Seek Trade

It's official, the Indianapolis Colts have granted quarterback Anthony Richardson Sr. permission to seek a trade, per ESPN''s Stephen Holder.

NEWS: The Indianapolis Colts have given QB Anthony Richardson permission to seek a trade given his uncertain future in Indy, ESPN has learned.

Story upcoming on https://t.co/5nxkndQ3MZ.
— Stephen Holder (@HolderStephen) February 26, 2026

This should surprise nobody given Richardson's tumultuous tenure with the Colts and how the franchise is going all in on Daniel Jones as the solution at QB.

Richardson has played three total seasons with the Colts, but only saw 15 out of 34 starts through his first two campaigns.

The injuries were a plague to Richardson's promise in the Circle City, and after the 2024 season, Richardson lost the QB battle to Jones in 2025.

Even as a designated backup, injuries still found their way to Richardson. During OTAs, Richardson dealt with shoulder soreness in his AC joint, putting him behind the eight ball in the QB competition.

Then, during the preseason, he dislocated his pinky, making his future with Indianapolis even more ambiguous.

Lastly, Richardson fractured his orbital bone, which landed him on injured reserve and ended his 2025 season.

This was a big blunder for Richardson, as he could have started after Jones suffered an Achilles tear, but ultimately, Philip Rivers and Riley Leonard took the reins.

Colts QB Anthony Richardson Sr. (black outfit) runs off the field following a tough loss. — Dec 22, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson (5) leaves the field after a loss to the San Francisco 49ers at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Christine Tannous-USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images | Christine Tannous-USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images

There's no other way to describe the relationship between the Colts and Richardson than 'sad.' Richardson was not ready for the NFL, and the Colts him, yet Chris Ballard took a massive risk by drafting him fourth-overall in 2023.

Wherever Richardson lands, the Colts won't get much out of the trade, which classifies their time with the ultra-athletic QB as a pure bust.

Sign Up For the Colts Daily Digest - OnSI’s Indianapolis Colts Newsletter

While there's a slim chance that Richardson won't find a trade partner, it's hard to imagine that his agent, Deiric Jackson, won't get a deal done to get him out of Indy since his future is dashed with the team.

Richardson's potential hasn't changed, and perhaps Shane Steichen wasn't the right offensive mind to mold his talents. Regardless, it's rough to see that things fell apart at the seams with the Colts.

The offense was built for Richardson to succeed. A strong offensive line, a superstar running back like Jonathan Taylor, great weapons like Alec Pierce, Michael Pittman Jr., Josh Downs, and Tyler Warren are present, and Steichen's game plan featured explosiveness behind a potent ground game.

It was all there, yet nothing came of it outside of drama, disappointing performances, and lackluster consistency from Richardson, as well as the team.

The Colts must focus their attention on the NFL Combine to get the right talent to build the roster, but this will undoubtedly provide a massive distraction.

Once Richardson is out of Indianapolis, it isn't crazy to say that the situation with Richardson could go down as the worst mistake this team has ever made.

The hope is that Jones can bounce back from his Achilles injury and get back to what the league saw from him during the first 10 games of the 2025 regular season. However, that remains to be seen.

It looks like Indy's feverish search for a franchise QB is over now that they've found Jones. However, Richardson was supposed to be that solution and will now look to his own future with a different team that can hopefully cultivate his skills into a legitimate threat at quarterback.

9 minutes of Anthony Richardson highlights

SOMEONE has to believe in him still 🙏pic.twitter.com/c1gE7w9u9H
— FanDuel (@FanDuel) February 26, 2026