The Indianapolis Colts need to move on from quarterback Anthony Richardson. Reports from trading camp indicate he's been demoted to third-string behind second-year youngster Riley Leonard. The longer Indianapolis waits to fulfill Richardson's trade request, the more he'll depreciate as an asset.
Meanwhile, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers managed to upset what should've been their franchise quarterback entering the 2026 season. Baker Mayfield cut off talks with the team over an extension, feeling disrespected by the offers made. He'll play the final year of his current deal and hit free agency next spring.
This looks like a golden opportunity for both franchises to find a mutually beneficial solution to their problems. Let's explore how the pair would go about making a swap.
This Buccaneers-Colts trade for Anthony Richardson gives Tampa Bay a Baker Mayfield alternative
Richardson's presence on the Colts' roster is just a financial drag and the longer he stays there the more returns for him are diminishing. Any team willing to buy wouldn't have to spend much but it's going to require some desperation to get a suitor on the phone.
At the moment, there are only five free agent quarterbacks available. Russell Wilson is one of them and he chose to begin his television career. The other four are Jimmy Garoppolo, Brett Rypien, John Wolford and Jeff Driskel. Teddy Bridgewater also just decided to retire from the Detroit Lions. That sounds like a pretty desperate situation for a QB-needy team.
Richardson would only yield a conditional late-round pick at best given the fact he threw just two passes in 2025 and his health isn't a certainty. That's a bargain price for the former first-round pick who still has decent upside potential should he land in the right spot.
Why the Buccaneers make this trade
Mayfield made it pretty clear he's going to test the market before giving Tampa Bay another chance to woo him with a lucrative contract. That being said, his backup is Jake Browning. Should anything happen to Mayfield that would cause him to miss time, Tampa Bay's season would be in serious jeopardy.
Acquiring Richardson would be a cheap insurance option in the event of a long-term injury to Mayfield. He's only two years removed from an 1,800-yard campaign and could benefit from a change in scenery. Richardson also wouldn't present a commitment dilemma. His current contract is also up at the end of the 2026-27 season and he'll only cost the team an affordable $1.145 million salary cap hit.
Handing Richardson the keys to an offense led by elite wideouts like Emeka Egbuka and Chris Godwin could elevate his game. If he plays anywhere close to the high-upside player he showed in 2024, Tampa Bay would have better bargaining power over Mayfield should his market be soft in 2027. The worst case scenario is Richardson sits and develops behind Mayfield and the team can sign him to a "prove it" deal to succeed him for 2027.
Why the Colts make this trade
Indianapolis already paid Richardson his $4.24 million roster bonus in April. That's a tough pill it has to swallow, but given the fact Leonard is proving to be the better backup for starter Daniel Jones, there's just no way the team can afford to continue shelling out money for an asset it desperately needs some kind of return on.
Even if it's a late-round pick, the Colts can easily tack on the condition it gets bumped up a round should Tampa Bay utilize Richardson for a certain percentage of snaps. It's a worthy gamble considering Mayfield likes to play a physical, roll-out style of game when the pocket collapses. He's bound to take too hard of a hit at some point and his 31-year-old body isn't indestructible.
The Colts aren't going to have a better market for Richardson the longer things drag out. You could argue the Lions are another option with Bridgewater's retirement, but unless the phone rings, Indianapolis is going to have to be its own salesman for a commodity most teams don't realize they have use for.
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