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Indianapolis, IN — The NFL Scouting Combine is back home this week as the on-the-field portion kicks off later today in Lucas Oil Stadium, the very event that popularized quarterback Anthony Richardson Sr. and deemed him the most athletic quarterback prospect in NFL history, according to Relative Athletic Score.
Fast-forward three years after being drafted 4th overall by the Combine’s hometown team, the Indianapolis Colts, and Richardson is planning for a fresh start elsewhere as he heads into the final year of his rookie contract. The Colts are honoring his wishes and have permitted him to seek a trade, according to ESPN’s Stephen Holder.
Richardson’s infamous inexperience as a prospect was his biggest concern heading into the league, though his injury history certainly rivaled it. After three seasons in the NFL, both concerns have combined to serve as foreshadowing thanks to hindsight bias.
Anthony Richardson has suffered seven different injuries throughout his short three-year career thus far. Couple that with his uninspiring statistics, and it checks out why both sides are ready to move on.
177-350 (50.6%) for 2400 passing yards, 11 TDs, 13 INTs, 67.8 passer rating, 3 game-winning drives; 115 rushes for 634 rushing yards, 10 TDs, 10 fumbles in 15 games started
Unfortunately, this is by no means surprising. Richardson has more or less been one foot out the door for quite some time now. The writing was starting to be on the wall after he lost the starting job to Daniel Jones, though a small chance remained even after the fact. The only shot he had to reclaim the throne in Indy was to right the ship after Daniel Jones tore his Achilles, but alas, a freak injury warming up pre-game derailed yet another opportunity.
As far as potential suitors and compensation go, it’d be hard to imagine the Colts will net anything more than a single Day 3 draft selection, though QB-needy teams are prone to desperation. Richardson’s 2026-27 cap hit is set to be $10.8m — a pricey backup, but a 1-year shot that may just be worth the gamble to some teams.
Cameron Wolfe of NFL Network recently reported that the Minnesota Vikings and Anthony Richardson have mutual interest, a potential pairing foreseen since Richardson’s rookie season after a loss to Minnesota when Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell — who famously pushed for Richardson — was captured from a mic’d up segment where he embraced the young, inexperienced quarterback, and offered him both advice and support from afar.
It’s been a series of unfortunate events for both Anthony Richardson and the organization during this experiment. Both sides have failed one another, and now they’re collectively facing the repercussions. In a new age of teams banking on reclamation projects, organizations across the league now have the opportunity to do the same with one of the most athletic players in NFL history, who turns just 24 years old in May.