The Indianapolis Colts have made a pretty bold declaration by making the decision to start quarterback Daniel Jones this season, a former first-round pick of the New York Giants who has turned the ball over at an incredibly high rate in his career.
Shane Steichen came to the Colts with a known ability to be a quarterback whisperer, which is why it wasn't overly questionable when the Colts used a 1st-round pick on Anthony Richardson just two years ago.
Richardson was only a one-year starter at Florida and logged just 24 games played, completing less than 54 percent of his passes at the college level. But the NFL always falls in love with guys who have size and talent, and Richardson has those things in spades. Now that the Colts have basically thrown in the towel on him, however, which teams should swoop in to rescue him via trade?
3 teams that should trade for Anthony Richardson after Colts decision to start Daniel Jones
1. Philadelphia Eagles
If you thought the tush push was effective with Jalen Hurts, just imagine it with Anthony Richardson behind that Philadelphia Eagles offensive line.
The Eagles have a handful of options at the backup quarterback spot right now, but none of them has the type of upside of a guy like Anthony Richardson. And Eagles GM Howie Roseman has never seen a reclamation project idea come across his desk that he didn't like.
The Eagles don't need Richardson, but with a couple of years left on his rookie deal, they could try to help develop him. This would be a great situation for Richardson to step into and Steichen's familiarity with the franchise obviously helps facilitate a deal.
2. Pittsburgh Steelers
The decision to go after Aaron Rodgers this offseason cost the Steelers an opportunity to really go after anyone in the 2025 NFL Draft, although they did add former Ohio State quarterback Will Howard in the later rounds.
The Steelers currently have five quarterbacks on their roster and are obviously interested in the possibility of having a dart throw for the coming years work out. Even if they decided to keep Rodgers and Mason Rudolph as their top two guys, Richardson could be a developmental piece to learn the offense now, and possibly be ready to take over next year.
This is a Steelers team that obviously isn't anticipating picking high in the 2026 NFL Draft, so Richardson would be effectively a quarterback they could view as a future investment at the position and someone they may have felt strongly about in the pre-draft process.
3. Las Vegas Raiders
The Las Vegas Raiders don't really have time to draft a quarterback next year, hope he develops, and just expect that the franchise is going to plow forward while Pete Carroll is there. Carroll is 73 years old and not likely interested in a long-term project at the position.
Unless maybe he can do it behind the scenes.
If Geno Smith is able to be the starter in Las Vegas for the next 2-3 years, perhaps Richardson could take over when he's done. Raiders fans might hate this idea if Richardson reminds them of former #1 overall pick JaMarcus Russell, but that pick can't scare you off from risk-reward opportunities in the NFL. Geno Smith would be a great pro for Richardson to sit behind and learn from.