Pundits have linked the Pittsburgh Steelers to quarterback Anthony Richardson in trade rumors for months. On Thursday, the former No. 4 overall signal-caller officially became available for the Steelers.
ESPN’s Stephen Holder reported the Indianapolis Colts will allow Richardson to search for a trade partner this offseason.
“The Colts have given quarterback Anthony Richardson Sr. permission to seek a trade, his agent told ESPN on Thursday, the latest twist in the young player’s complicated career,” wrote Holder.
Richardson is entering his fourth season in the league. Last year, he lost the Colts starting quarterback job to Daniel Jones. Richardson played in just two games and finished the campaign on injured reserve after fracturing his orbital bone during pregame warmups in October.
In three seasons, Richardson has posted an 8-7 record as a starter. He’s also completed 50.6% of his passes while averaging 6.9 yards per pass. Richardson has thrown 11 touchdowns and ran for 10 scores while throwing 13 interceptions.
Could Steelers Show Interest in QB Anthony Richardson?
Since losing his starting job to Jones, pundits have suggested the Colts could move on from Richardson before 2026.
Just because Richardson seeks a trade doesn’t mean one will happen. But it’s an important first step. There are also enough teams in need of quarterback upgrades this offseason that Richardson should have a market.
Teams that need a quarterback could easily chalk up Richardson’s lack of success to his injuries. He missed most of the 2025 campaign because of an AC joint sprain that resulted in the quarterback needing surgery. Richardson also dealt with concussions as a rookie.
In 2024, Richardson missed two games because of an oblique injury. He eventually lost his starting job to Joe Flacco.
Then last year, Richardson sustained an eye injury despite not playing much.
Despite the injuries, though, Richardson has a ton of talent. That’s why it’s likely a team will take a risk on trading for him this offseason.
The question is whether the Steelers will be an interested party.
Mike McCarthy’s quarterback room is set to include Mason Rudolph and Will Howard in 2026. Adding Richardson would be intriguing, but it would likely end the team’s pursuit of bringing back Aaron Rodgers.
That’s not necessarily a bad thing; Rodgers is set to turn 43 years old during the 2026 campaign. But the Steelers would enter 2026 with a lot of questions behind center if their quarterback room was Richardson, Rudolph and Howard.
Will Richardson Reach His Potential Elsewhere?
Richardson entered the NFL with significant concerns. He only had one year of college starting experience and accuracy issues.
But the Colts drafted him at No. 4 overall because of his tremendous raw talent as a dual-threat signal-caller.
“Dual-threat quarterback with an elite physical profile and a lot of work that needs to be done to reach a potentially high ceiling,” NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein wrote. “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.”
Unless something dramatically changes, the Colts don’t plan to continue trying to develop Richardson. Instead, he will likely have another opportunity with a different team in 2026.
Despite the rumors, the Steeles were probably not an ideal landing spot for Richardson before this offseason. That’s because Mike Tomlin and his staff didn’t really prove capable of developing a signal-caller.
McCarthy, though, could be a different story. The offensive head coach hasn’t typically worked with dual-threat quarterbacks in his coaching career. But McCarthy has a lot of successful experience working with signal-callers.
Proposed Steelers QB Target Granted Permission to Seek Trade: Report