Following the 2026 NFL draft, quarterback Anthony Richardson remains with the Indianapolis Colts. No trade agreement has been reached at this time.
While appearing on the ‘Rich Eisen Show,’ GM Chris Ballard was asked about where things stand with Richardson and any trade talks. From the sounds of it, the Colts remain in wait-and-see mode.
“Well, nothing yet,” Ballard told Eisen. “You know, he’s still a Colt as of right now. We’ll continue to work through that, but he’s still an Indianapolis Colt. We’ve also got Riley Leonard on the roster, who did well last year. So, we’ll work through that as we go along.”
These trade conversations between Richardson and the Colts first began back in late February during the NFL combine. Yet two months later, with free agency and the NFL draft behind us, no deal has come to fruition.
As Adam Schefter described it a few weeks ago, Richardson’s trade market has been “soft.” Ballard also wants to ensure that he is getting a fair return for Richardson, the former fourth overall pick, who is still just 23 years old.
According to Jeremy Fowler, Richardson ideally wants to land in “extension of the McVay-Shanahan-LaFleur tree” to further develop his game.
As of draft week, Richardson had not reported to the Colts’ voluntary offseason workout programs. Minicamp in June and then training camp in July are mandatory. I would guess that the Colts’ hope is that these trade talks don’t extend to that portion of the offseason.
As expected, the Colts declined to pick up Richardson’s fifth-year option for the 2027 NFL season.
This article originally appeared on Colts Wire: Colts’ Ballard discusses Anthony Richardson trade talks after draft
Reporting by Paul Bretl, Colts Wire / Colts Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
