Inside The Vikings

One Scenario Where Anthony Richardson to the Vikings Could Work

If the Vikings are going to trade for Richardson, it would have to be as one of two quarterback additions this offseason.
Will Ragatz|
Nov 3, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson (5) warms up before the game against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Nov 3, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson (5) warms up before the game against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium. | Brad Rempel-Imagn Images

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Minnesota Vikings

Anthony Richardson has been granted permission by the Colts to seek a trade, ESPN's Stephen Holder reported on Thursday. The former No. 4 overall pick out of Florida in 2023 will likely see his time in Indianapolis come to an end this offseason.

Naturally, the Vikings are going to be linked to Richardson in speculation about his potential landing spots. That discussion has already started on social media. J.J. McCarthy's uncertain future means the Vikings get linked to just about every quarterback who becomes available, and in Richardson's case, there's a specific piece of evidence to point to.

Famously, after the Vikings beat the Colts in November 2024, head coach Kevin O'Connell's postgame interaction with Richardson was caught on camera and went viral.

"Hey, do me a favor and remember something," O'Connell said. "You're a bad dude. And you're going to play a long time in this league. Go to work every day. Good things will happen for you. I still believe in you, I know these guys do, Shane (Steichen) does, too."

The Vikings were believed to be very fond of Richardson in the 2023 draft, but they held the 23rd pick and couldn't move up nearly high enough to get him. They selected wide receiver Jordan Addison that year and waited until the following draft to go get a quarterback, taking McCarthy 10th overall.

Over a year after his postgame comments, O'Connell's belief in Richardson likely still exists. After all, he's only started five games since that moment. NFL Network's Cameron Wolfe believes the Vikings are a team to keep an eye on when it comes to Richardson, saying there's "mutual interest."

The basic issue with the idea of the Vikings trading for Richardson is that they already have a young, talented, injury-prone developmental QB on their roster in McCarthy. There would be a level of redundancy that would come from pairing those two together. The Vikings need a veteran option with a higher floor to either compete with McCarthy or outright replace him.

But what if they did both? The scenario where trading for Richardson could make sense is if it were one of two additions to Minnesota's quarterback room this offseason. The Vikings could go out and add a Derek Carr, Geno Smith, Kirk Cousins-level option to potentially serve as their starter in 2026. At the same time, they could bring in Richardson to give themselves not one but two developmental projects. The winner of a McCarthy-Richardson competition could then take over as the starter in 2027, with the potential to do so even earlier if one of them emerges quickly.

Anthony Richardson
Anthony Richardson | Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

It's not a perfect or flawless plan. The dynamics of having three starting-caliber players in one quarterback room would be very interesting. Would they co-exist well while competing for an extremely desirable role? Would they be able to play confident football, knowing there are two other talented QBs hoping to take their place? Richardson's rookie contract expiring after this season is also a factor to consider.

But it might just work. The veteran would provide a necessary floor for this season. And having two young QB lottery tickets would increase the odds that one of them hits. Richardson's career passing numbers are even worse than McCarthy's, but his physical tools are on another level. He was a top-five pick a few years ago in large part because we've basically never seen a QB with his combination of size, athleticism, and arm strength. In 15 career starts, those tools have flashed at times.

By living in both the present and the future, the Vikings could put together a fascinating quarterback room that would have a chance to pay off in a big way in future years.

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Will Ragatz
WILL RAGATZ

Will Ragatz is a senior writer for Vikings On SI, who also covers the Twins, Timberwolves, Gophers, and other Minnesota teams. He is a credentialed Minnesota Vikings beat reporter, covering the team extensively at practices, games and throughout the NFL draft and free agency period. Ragatz attended Northwestern University, where he studied at the prestigious Medill School of Journalism. During his time as a student, he covered Northwestern Wildcats football and basketball for SB Nation’s Inside NU, eventually serving as co-editor-in-chief in his junior year. In the fall of 2018, Will interned in Sports Illustrated’s newsroom in New York City, where he wrote articles on Major League Baseball, college football, and college basketball for SI.com.

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