Overview
- Indianapolis declined the fifth-year option Friday, which would have guaranteed about $22.48 million in 2027, and Richardson will be an unrestricted free agent after the 2026 season.
- Richardson requested a trade in February and has skipped voluntary workouts while training in Jacksonville, but GM Chris Ballard said no teams called during the draft and described the market as soft.
- Daniel Jones signed a two-year, $88 million deal to start, and sixth-rounder Riley Leonard is on the depth chart, leaving Indianapolis comfortable keeping Richardson as a backup if no fair trade emerges.
- Across 17 appearances in three years, Richardson has completed 50.6% of his passes for 2,400 yards with 11 touchdowns and 13 interceptions, and he has missed long stretches with injuries including a Grade 3 AC joint sprain and an orbital fracture from a pregame accident.
- ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported Richardson prefers a system from the McVay-Shanahan-LaFleur coaching tree, and Pro Football Rumors noted a trade could require the Colts to absorb part of his $10.82 million 2026 guarantee to facilitate a deal.