ESPN Reveals the 1 Quarterback Trade That Should be Made Before 2026 Season

The Indianapolis Colts need to trade quarterback Anthony Richardson, at least as far as ESPN is concerned.

ESPN penned a new column revealing the one move every NFL team needs to make before the 2026 season kicks off. It suggested now is the time for the Colts to move on from the former No. 4 overall pick and cut its losses.

“It’s clear that Richardson is no longer part of the Colts’ plans and that they are much more likely to make 2025 sixth-round pick Riley Leonard their backup to Daniel Jones,” the Worldwide Leader wrote.

“However, Richardson is still just 24 years old, and any team that wants to acquire him would have him in their system for a season and then have a chance to evaluate him internally before he becomes a free agent at the end of 2026.”

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Richardson is due a $4 million roster bonus in July, but ESPN suggests he could be intriguing if there’s another team with a veteran starter and room on the roster for a developmental quarterback.

Teams like the Pittsburgh Steelers or Detroit Lions could make sense from an aging quarterback perspective, but Richardson could also fit in an offense like that of the Buffalo Bills or Philadelphia Eagles where run-heavy schemes dominate.

Richardson attempted just two passes in 2025, completing one for nine yards.

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This story was originally published June 18, 2026 at 2:09 PM.