Open Extended Reactions
INDIANAPOLIS — For two full weeks of offseason workouts, the Indianapolis Colts proceeded through offensive drills behind a pair of quarterbacks whose combined NFL résumés could fit on a bar napkin.
With starter Daniel Jones still sidelined following his ruptured right Achilles in early December, 2025 sixth-round pick Riley Leonard (one NFL start) and Seth Henigan (zero NFL snaps) handled the offense.
All of that changed last week.
Anthony Richardson Sr., the team’s embattled 2023 fourth overall draft pick and a starter for parts of two seasons, ended his absence from the voluntary sessions, shaking up the team’s quarterback unit at an important juncture of the offseason.
Much had changed since he was last at Colts headquarters.
The Colts in March signed Jones to a two-year, $88 million contract extension that removed any doubt about who the team's quarterback will be for the foreseeable future. A few weeks before that, Richardson — sensing that he lacked a future in Indianapolis — requested a trade and was granted permission to shop himself to other teams.
But now that no deal has materialized, and with the offseason well underway, Richardson is back, prepared to play out his contract, if necessary.
"He's back in the fold right now," coach Shane Steichen said Friday.
But what, exactly, does that mean? Will the Colts continue to entertain the idea of trading Richardson? Will he remain on the roster and play out the final year of his rookie contract? If he does stick around, will he be the Colts' primary backup after the team in recent months embraced Leonard as its likely No. 2 quarterback?
So far, the Colts have committed to nothing. This remains the story of a quarterback who made it known he'd prefer to play elsewhere and a coach who long ago appeared to move on from said quarterback.
Now, here they are, back together and trying to navigate their complicated situation.
"We'll see how it goes," Steichen said. "But he's working, he's here, he's in good spirits."
Later this month, though, the Colts will have some decisions to make when the team proceeds to the final stage of voluntary workouts and its mandatory minicamp. When the starting offense squares off against the defense in full-team practices — Jones is not expected to suit up until training camp — who will be under center?
"[Richardson is] going to get reps, just like [Leonard] will get reps," Steichen said, without offering a specific answer.
For Richardson, who has not yet spoken to reporters, there is a lot at stake.
While his two seasons as a starter were marked by inconsistency, inaccuracy and injuries — Steichen briefly benched him for Joe Flacco in 2024 — he is hoping to embark on a path similar to that of successful reclamation projects like Sam Darnold and Baker Mayfield. Those former first-round picks struggled before finding success and lucrative contracts in Seattle and Tampa Bay, respectively.
If Richardson can reestablish himself with a strong offseason and preseason, he could position himself as a trade target in the fall or as an intriguing free agent in 2027.
Richardson also seeks to demonstrate that his devastating eye injury last season is no longer an impediment. In October, he sustained an orbital fracture after a pregame accident involving an elastic stretching band, leaving him with temporary vision impairment in his right eye. He spent the final 2½ months of the season on injured reserve, though he was designated for return on Dec. 18 and returned to practice.
Then came a very interesting development: Even while Steichen was stating publicly that Richardson's vision would prevent him from returning to the field in 2025, Richardson rejoined the scout-team offense and was making notable plays in practice.
According to multiple sources, Richardson performed impressively during those late-season practice opportunities, leading the scout-team offense on touchdown drives against the Colts' starting defense. Some of the throws he made were characterized as elite, according to teammates, showing little indication that his eye injury was a limiting factor.
"I've been making plays out there and I'm excited to be back out there for sure," he said at the time.
The practice performance was promising when considered with Richardson's 2025 training camp showing, easily the best camp of his career. Richardson did admit to some issues with his right eye in December. There has been consistent improvement with those issues since then, but the uncertainty about his eye had a negative impact on his trade value in recent months, according to sources.
Richardson, who turns 24 on May 22, remains an enigma in many ways.
He is one of the least experienced quarterbacks to be selected in the first round, starting just 13 games at the University of Florida. But his big arm, size (6-4, 244 pounds) and record-setting testing in drills at the 2023 scouting combine, made him a tantalizing prospect.
Still, it hasn't come together in Indianapolis. He's completed 50.6% of his pass attempts and has 11 touchdown passes versus 13 interceptions in 15 starts.
There are regrets by all parties. General manager Chris Ballard now admits it was likely a mistake to press Richardson into the starting lineup as a rookie rather than ease him into the job. And Richardson has taken criticism from Steichen and his staff for not immersing himself in his game preparation, which was Steichen's stated reason for the benching in 2024.
But Ballard has emphasized lately he still thinks Richardson has something to offer. There has been no internal discussion about granting Richardson his release because of that belief, according to sources.
"I still think Anthony has real value in this league and I've been happy with his growth," Ballard said. "And he's an extremely talented young man."
The Colts earlier this month declined to exercise the fifth-year option on Richardson's rookie contract for the 2027 season. But they are scheduled to pay him $5.69 million in salary and bonuses this year. That would be a significant sum to pay a talented former first-round choice to sit behind Riley, the 189th selection in 2025.
For many reasons, it would make sense for the Colts to reintegrate Richardson. If he remains in Indianapolis, his presence could be valuable given Jones' comeback from his current injury and past injury history. Jones has missed starts in five of his seven seasons. Last season, Jones played two games with a hairline fibula fracture before sustaining the season-ending Achilles injury.
Had Richardson been available after Jones went to injured reserve, Richardson would have been called upon to start the remainder of the season with the Colts positioned to make the playoffs. In that scenario, the unretirement of 44-year-old Philip Rivers — a Hail Mary by the Colts — never would have happened.
Questions remain, but Richardson is said to be maintaining a positive attitude through it all. He's still popular among his teammates, who will happily tell you how much they believe in his talent.
"He's a good player," receiver Josh Downs said. “Really good attitude as well. He was in here joking around, but he’s also working. So, I’m excited to see him back in here with a smile on his face and just going to work.
"A.R. is needed and we appreciate him."
