Anthony Richardson's time with the Indianapolis Colts has been nothing if not complicated. That's why his chances of making the team's first 53-man roster drew loads of speculation ahead of the NFL's cut deadline on Sunday evening. In the end, though, the Colts elected to keep hold of the enigmatic quarterback, despite plenty of evidence to the contrary both last year and this preseason.
That decision drew some criticism on social media, but a closer look at the actions of Indianapolis' peers makes it obvious it was the right call. Quite a few teams — namely the Pittsburgh Steelers, Minnesota Vikings and Cleveland Browns — elected to defy recent trends by keeping four quarterbacks on their active rosters to start the season. That phenomenon shows that quarterback demand has never been higher around the league, and that the market simply wasn't there to facilitate a trade.
Despite being the subject of off-season trade speculation, the Colts kept former first-round pick Anthony Richardson on their initial 53-man roster.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 30, 2026
Richardson's performance as a pro has not been nearly good enough to merit a starting position, but his natural athletic talent makes him a solid backup for teams looking for an intriguing No. 2 option. At the very least, his scrambling ability and big arm over-qualify him to be a No. 3 option for any team in the league.
Colts were right to bide their time with Anthony Richardson
None of this means the Colts will keep hold of Richardson for the long haul. It's easy to envision a scenario where they try to take advantage of another team's need at the position by swinging a trade for the former first-round pick. The same market pressure that has multiple teams keeping four quarterbacks on the current roster could push Richardson's trade value higher than it's been in recent seasons once the year begins and injuries inevitably strike.
Plus, having an insurance policy behind Daniel Jones seems like a prudent decision for Indianapolis. Jones is reportedly making great progress in recovring from the torn Achilles injury that ended his 2025 campaign, but that's a notoriously difficult injury to recover from. If the Colts want to keep Jones healthy, it may be prudent for them to give Richardson a start or two to begin the regular season.
It's also possible that Indy's decision-makers view Richardson as the No. 3 option on their current depth chart. Riley Leonard struggled to separate from Richardson during the preseason, but he has significant support from the coaching staff and front office. He could be the quarterback to get the first chance to spell Jones if it becomes necessary.
Fortunately for the Colts, Richardson even makes sense to keep on the roster as a No. 3 quarterback. He may never live up to the pre-draft hype that made him such a high pick, but that's a sunk cost that Indianapolis' front office needs to forget about. Richardson should now only be judged against the other options available to the team at his spot on the roster. Having him as a third-stringer at the game's most important position is a smart piece of business for the Colts.
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