Anthony Richardson Named Colts QB2: What Trade Request Means
Anthony Richardson Sr. is the Indianapolis Colts’ No. 2 quarterback for the 2026 season. Head coach Shane Steichen announced Thursday that Richardson won the backup job behind Daniel Jones, while Riley Leonard will open as QB3. The decision keeps the former No. 4 overall pick one snap from playing, but it does not by itself cancel the trade request Richardson and his agent made in February.
That is the clean answer. Richardson earned the higher role after the more efficient preseason, the Colts retained all three quarterbacks, and Indianapolis offered no indication in its September 3 announcement that a trade is imminent or that the request has been withdrawn. For now, he is both the backup and a player whose longer-term future remains unsettled.
What the Colts confirmed
Steichen’s depth-chart call resolves the last open competition in the quarterback room before Week 1. Richardson said he was thankful the Colts believed in him enough to promote him to QB2 and that he was ready to work. Indianapolis’ official report lists Leonard as QB3 and Jones as the starter Richardson would replace if needed.
The timing matters because the Colts chose clarity instead of carrying a vague “co-backup” arrangement into the regular season. Football Nation’s complete 2026 Week 1 schedule has Indianapolis hosting Baltimore on September 13. That gives the coaching staff a defined emergency plan and gives Richardson a specific weekly preparation role.
Why Richardson beat Riley Leonard for QB2
The preseason numbers do not tell the entire evaluation story, but they support the choice. Richardson completed 21 of 33 passes for 249 yards over three games. Leonard completed 20 of 42 for 199 yards. The Colts’ final competition update also noted that Leonard threw a red-zone interception in the finale, while Richardson finished that game 7 of 10 for 80 yards.
Quarterback | 2026 preseason passing | Role announced Sept. 3 |
Anthony Richardson Sr. | 21-of-33, 249 yards | QB2 |
Riley Leonard | 20-of-42, 199 yards | QB3 |
Richardson’s edge was efficiency, experience and upside. He has already made 15 NFL starts and owns an 8-7 record in them. His career passing line is uneven—177 completions on 350 attempts, 2,400 yards, 11 touchdowns and 13 interceptions—but his 634 rushing yards and 10 rushing scores explain why teams still see uncommon physical value. Those figures come from the Colts and Reuters’ February trade-request report.
The decision also fits the wider league pattern. Las Vegas chose a veteran starter while keeping a rookie behind him, as Football Nation explained in the Kirk Cousins–Fernando Mendoza depth-chart decision. Minnesota faced a different kind of backup question in the J.J. McCarthy–Carson Wentz competition. Indianapolis is making the same basic calculation: the second quarterback must be able to enter a game immediately.
Does QB2 status end Richardson’s trade request?
No. It changes his leverage and his value, not the historical record. Richardson and his agent asked Indianapolis for a trade in February, and the Colts allowed them to explore one. No deal materialized before the roster deadline. Thursday’s announcement establishes his current job; it does not announce a reconciliation, an extension or a withdrawal of the request.
The practical barrier is price. Indianapolis has little reason to move a capable backup for a token return when Jones is returning from the Achilles injury that ended his 2025 season. At the same time, another team would be acquiring a talented but unproven quarterback with a 50.6 percent career completion rate. Both sides can rationally prefer patience.
What changes for the Colts now
Richardson should receive the backup’s practice workload, study the opponent-specific plan and be active on game day ahead of Leonard. That does not mean Indianapolis must build a separate package for him, but his rushing ability gives Steichen an option in short-yardage or red-zone situations if the coach wants it. The safer expectation is conventional QB2 duty, not a weekly gadget role.
His athleticism also affects defensive preparation. Football Nation’s guides to a contain rush and the scramble drill explain why Richardson can change a play after protection breaks down. The challenge is pairing that explosive element with the down-to-down accuracy and ball security required to keep an offense on schedule.
The official Colts video above shows the case for keeping Richardson close: he drives a 24-yard throw to Keenan Allen in the preseason finale. Allen’s availability carries its own off-field uncertainty, covered in Football Nation’s Keenan Allen charge explainer, while the status of Alec Pierce remains relevant to the offense’s vertical ceiling in our 2026 fantasy outlook.
Fantasy impact: monitor, do not draft
Richardson does not have standalone value in standard one-quarterback fantasy leagues while Jones starts. He is a watch-list quarterback because his rushing profile can create fantasy points quickly if he enters the lineup. In superflex and deep dynasty formats, the QB2 designation is a modest positive: it confirms that Leonard is not first in line.
The counterpoint is straightforward. Winning a backup competition against a developmental third-round rookie does not prove Richardson has fixed the accuracy and availability problems that cost him the starting job. It also does not guarantee he will remain in Indianapolis all season if another club loses a quarterback and improves its offer.
Next checkpoint and Football Nation verdict
The next factual checkpoint is the Colts’ first official Week 1 injury report and game-day inactive list. Those will show whether Indianapolis treats Richardson as a normal active QB2 and whether Jones has any late availability restriction. Trade interest could reappear at any time, but a report of interest is not the same thing as an accepted offer.
Football Nation’s verdict: this is a meaningful win for Richardson, not a career reset. He outplayed Leonard, earned the job and preserved a path back onto the field. The Colts also protected themselves behind a veteran starter returning from a major injury. Until Indianapolis announces a trade or Richardson withdraws his request, both truths belong in the headline: he is QB2, and the long-term question is still open.
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