A Raw Passer with “Elite Physical Profile” Said to be on NFL Trade Market
The NFL trade market is soon to get set ablaze with the arrival of the new league year in the middle of March. All that remains to be seen is who gets swapped and for what price.
How about Anthony Richardson going to the Vikings? After all, Minnesota has been connected to a passer or two in recent days.
On ESPN, Stephen Holder clarifies that Indianapolis appears ready to move ahead with Daniel Jones, a gifted athlete and former high pick who is coming off injury. So, too, is there some optimism about late-round passer Riley Leonard as the top backup. Where does that leave Mr. Richardson?
Anthony Richardson & The NFL Trade Market
To begin, consider that Richardson is a 23-year-old quarterback who hasn’t come anywhere close to reaching his ceiling, at least partly due to injury. Next, consider the scouting report that is offered by Lance Zierlein on the NFL’s website.
“Dual-threat quarterback with an elite physical profile and a lot of work that needs to be done to reach a potentially high ceiling,” Zierlein begins. “Richardson’s frame, arm talent and mobility will demand respect as a potential first-round option. He has the ability to make plays on the move that very few of his NFL peers will be able to make.”
Further: “However, but his accuracy on short and simple throws left much to be desired due, in part, to shoddy footwork and inconsistent rhythm. The footwork issues can be corrected, but the challenge will be determining whether he can be at least a functionally accurate passer at the next level. Richardson’s potential to strike with the deep ball, attack the secondary from sideline to sideline and gash teams with his legs creates greater leeway in his projection as a developmental prospect. Ultimately, he will succeed or fail based on his ability to play with better post-snap recognition and deliver the football with consistency.”
Kick it back to Holder, who points toward the possibility of a trade after explaining the Colts’ belief in the Jones/Leonard twosome.
From Holder: “There has been no trade request made from Richardson, sources told ESPN, but multiple sources have called into question whether there is a way forward for Richardson in Indianapolis. Richardson played just five snaps in 2025, ending the season on injured reserve following a freak pregame warmup accident that left him with a fractured orbital bone and an eye injury.”
Not too long afterwards, Holder indicates that “the team’s intent is for Jones to be the starter for the foreseeable future.”
Finally, note the contract clarity: “Richardson has one season remaining on his rookie contract, assuming the Colts decline to exercise his 2027 fifth-year option. (May 1 is the deadline.) Richardson is owed a $4.24 million roster bonus in August and is scheduled to count $10.82 million against the salary cap in 2026. Should the Colts trade him before June 1, they would save $5.385 million against the salary cap.”
(Go ahead and read the full piece if it’s of interest).
Once upon a time, Kevin O’Connell was an NFL quarterback with great athleticism but who struggled with accuracy. Maybe predictably, Coach O’Connell is an admirer of Richardson.
So far, Richardson’s career has been modest, to say the least. The most discouraging parts of his NFL career have been his ongoing struggles with accuracy alongside an inability to stay healthy. As a result, Richardson is reminiscent of J.J. McCarthy (though with a considerably more imposing build).
Trading for Richardson is unlikely to cost much. A Day 3 selection. Maybe even a late-round pick swap. Does that actually make sense for the Vikings? Yes, so long as the job on the back end of the swap makes sense.
Bringing Richardson to town makes a pile of sense as along as the expectation isn’t that he’ll be the Week 1 starter. Instead, upgrade the QB3 job. If that sounds like a modest placement, then that’s for good reason. Richardson’s career completion percentage is an unfathomably bad 50.6%. Keeping him out of the spotlight to perfect his craft is probably exactly what he needs.
The thinking is that Richardson could develop into someone who could help down the road while shoring up depth in the immediate. Again, note that he’s a raw passer who is still only 23 and who has been hurt plenty. Let the young fella get his body right and go to school under Coach O’Connell and QB coach Josh McCown.
Quite possibly, the Vikings could unearth a promising developmental passer who is built like Tim Tebow and who has an identical forty to Justin Jefferson. A future where he’s akin to Taysom Hill, the do-it-all depth passer for the Saints, could make the trade worthwhile.
