Since the Green Bay Packers knew Malik Willis was headed to free agency before eventually landing with the Miami Dolphins, the question has been who would replace him as the backup to Jordan Love. Many believed Anthony Richardson of the Indianapolis Colts could eventually become that answer.
To this point, however, that has yet to transpire and Green Bay seemingly went in a different direction by signing veteran quarterback Tyrod Taylor earlier this offseason.
Still, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler believes a Richardson-to-Green Bay trade remains possible.
ESPN Projection Has Packers Trading for Anthony Richardson
Fowler, along with several other ESPN insiders, recently proposed hypothetical landing spots for Richardson. Ironically, all four projections had the former first-round pick ending up somewhere in the NFC North.
As for Fowler’s idea, he projected the Colts trading Richardson to Green Bay in exchange for only a 2027 fifth-round pick.
Fowler suggested the Packers would likely view that kind of deal as a low-risk gamble, especially if Indianapolis agreed to absorb part of Richardson’s remaining rookie contract.
“Richardson wants to be in a variation of the McVay-Shanahan-LaFleur system and took notice of what Packers coach Matt LaFleur did with Malik Willis,” Fowler wrote. “Green Bay signed Tyrod Taylor earlier this month but at a modest $2.5 million. With this trade, Indianapolis adds much-needed draft capital and moves forward with Riley Leonard as its No. 2 quarterback. And Green Bay asks Indy to cover a portion of Richardson’s $5.4 million in 2026 guarantees.”
Richardson is entering what could be the final guaranteed year of the four-year, $33.9 million rookie contract he signed after being selected No. 4 overall in the 2023 NFL Draft. The Colts still hold a club option for 2027.
According to Colts reporter Stephen Holder, Richardson’s contract situation could be one reason a trade hasn’t happened yet.
“But with most quarterback roles around the league already filled, Indianapolis’ attempts to deal him might not be fruitful,” Holder said. “Any team that trades for Richardson before Aug. 1 would pay him $5.385 million for 2026. But if he’s dealt after his Aug. 1 roster bonus is paid, the amount he’s owed drops to $1.145 million.”
Matt LaFleur Could Be Anthony Richardson’s Last Real Chance
Considering Richardson was once viewed as a franchise-changing quarterback prospect, Green Bay potentially landing him for only a fifth-round pick would feel almost impossible to ignore.
The former Florida Gators quarterback entered the NFL with enormous upside because of his athleticism and arm strength. But injuries and inconsistencies have completely stalled his development so far.
Richardson has started only 15 games across three NFL seasons and appeared in just two games last year. During that span, he’s thrown for 2,400 yards, 11 touchdowns and 13 interceptions while completing just 50.6% of his passes.
It’s also understandable why Richardson would reportedly have interest in playing under Matt LaFleur.
LaFleur has consistently found ways to maximize quarterbacks within his system, including helping revive Willis’ career last season after many around the league had largely written him off.
The bigger question for Green Bay would then become what happens to the rest of the quarterback room.
The Packers already have Taylor on the roster while younger quarterbacks Kyle McCord and Kyron Drones are expected to compete for the No. 3 role.
But if Green Bay ever did pull off a trade for Richardson, it’s hard imagining him remaining buried behind multiple quarterbacks for long. At the same time, given Love’s injury issues over the last two seasons, the Packers may also be reluctant to move on from Taylor because of the veteran stability he provides.
Packers Land Colts’ Anthony Richardson in ESPN Trade Proposal