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The Colts Can’t Afford to Trade Anthony Richardson, Not After Riley Leonard’s Dud vs. The Falcons
(By James Boyd)
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/753...eason-falcons/
INDIANAPOLIS — All Riley Leonard could do was shake his head. The Indianapolis Colts quarterback had just fumbled the snap in the 2nd quarter of Saturday’s eventual 34-6 pre-season loss against the Atlanta Falcons, and his frustration was evident. Fortunately for Leonard, he recovered the loose ball and even plunged forward for a 2-yard gain. Unfortunately, that was far from his only miscue in what’s been a growing theme.
“There’s a big difference in this league, (between) not being able to (perform well), and you can, but you just don’t execute,” Leonard said. “I know that I can execute at a high level. I feel like I’ve shown that before ...... it just didn’t happen (Saturday.)”
For the 2nd straight week, Leonard struggled to lead the Colts offense. The 2nd-year pro had the opportunity to start, flip-flopping from last week when Anthony Richardson started and put together a strong performance, but Leonard couldn’t hold serve. The 2025 6th-round pick finished Saturday 7-of-14 passing for 62 yards. 39 of those yards came on a crosser to Coleman Owen on the Colts’ second drive. Otherwise, Leonard’s inconsistency did little to help him gain ground, as he and Richardson compete for the back-up role behind starter Daniel Jones.
Instead, Leonard’s latest showing proved one thing ...... that the Colts can’t afford to trade Richardson, even if he still wants out.
“We want to have 3 QB's who can play,” Colts assistant general manager Ed Dodds said earlier this week. “So, if Richardson is one of them, he’s going to be here.”
To be fair, Richardson wasn’t exactly a star on Saturday. In fact, he came back down to earth in a big way after a stellar outing last week. The 2023 No. 4 pick finished 3-of-9 passing for 24 yards, adding 3 carries for 15 yards, as he and Leonard both failed to lead a TD drive against the Falcons. Still, the larger point remains that since neither quarterback has separated himself from the other, it doesn’t make sense to trade Richardson, presumably for a Day 3 draft pick, and hand the 2nd-string job to Leonard.
“If they truly believe that I still have a chance to be on this squad, then I’d love that,” Richardson said. “I just want to be able to contribute, put my best foot forward, and just help the team win.”
Keep in mind that Jones, who established himself as the Colts’ unquestioned leader after playing at a Pro Bowl-caliber level when he was healthy last year, is returning from a torn right Achilles tendon. Jones has shown no signs of ever being injured, but he also hasn’t played a full season since 2022. If that holds true again in 2026, it may behoove the Colts to keep Richardson around.
The 4th-year pro is 8-7 as a starter, compared to 0-1 for Leonard. Of course, Richardson’s experience is also accompanied by his well-documented struggles. He’s thrown 11 TD's against 13 INT's, though his 10 rushing TD's suggest that his legs could make him the superior backup option in a pinch.
Colts coach Shane Steichen said earlier this week that he’s not in a rush to decide on the team’s QB-2 ...... but if he has any takeaway from Saturday’s match-up with the Falcons, it should be that although Richardson is no longer Indianapolis’s starter, trading him is probably be a non-starter.
“I think that there was some good, but there’s a lot that we need to improve on,” Steichen said of Indianapolis’s reserve QB's.
Grupe's Big Miss
Blake Grupe appeared to have taken the lead this offseason in the Colts’ kicking competition, drilling 41 of his 45 field goal attempts in training camp. Spencer Shrader, meanwhile, is 32 of 46. However, in Indianapolis’s 2 pre-season games, Shrader has clearly outperformed his challenger.
Shrader drilled a 48-yarder and 53-yarder in the 1st quarter Saturday, while Grupe missed a 36-yarder in the 4th quarter. Grupe is now 0-of-2 on field goal attempts in the pre-season, compared to 4-of-4 for Shrader.
“I think that the evaluation is ongoing,” Steichen said. “Both of those guys are starting kickers in this league, so it’s going to be a big decision for us.”
Allen's NFL Debut
CJ Allen made his pre-season NFL debut on Saturday, but he did not start. The Colts’ 2nd-round rookie came in as a reserve behind Austin Ajiake and Jaylon Carlies, and totaled 3 tackles. Allen missed time throughout training camp due to calf and hamstring injuries, and as it stands now, it does not appear that he will be a surefire starter in Week 1.
In the last few training camp practices, the Colts’ starting linebackers were veteran Akeem Davis-Gaither, who did not play on Saturday along with a few other starters, and 2024 5th-round pick Jaylon Carlies ...... Allen has rotated in mostly with the 2nd-stringers. Steichen said that it was encouraging to see Allen play because he can glean more from being on the field than taking “mental reps.”
“It’s definitely tough, but that’s part of the game, Allen said of trying to get reacclimated. “I think that that’s part of just being a pro, having to learn how to adapt to those things and not letting it be an excuse or anything like that.”
Tuimoloau Still a Non-Factor
After a quiet rookie season in which he didn’t start or record a sack, Jaylahn Tuimoloau continues to be a non-factor this summer. The 2025 2nd-round pick started on Saturday and played a handful of series, but he failed to record a stat. In fact, when Atlanta running back Tyler Goodson, who played for the Colts last year, broke free for a 49-yard TD run in the 1st quarter, Tuimoloau and Allen were 2 of the players he zoomed past.
Steichen said that Tuimoloau has “played well” throughout the pre-season, but from the outside looking in, it sounds like the coach is just trying to protect his young player from further criticism.
The Back-Up O-Line Struggles
Riley Leonard and Anthony Richardson rarely had clean pockets on Saturday thanks ...... or rather no thanks ...... to Indianapolis’s leaky back-up offensive line. Left tackle Blake Freeland, center Josh Kreutz, and right tackle Josh Sills, who played left guard last week, particularly struggled against the Falcons.
Their performance was a stark reminder of the Colts’ lack of quality offensive line depth. Fortunately, Indianapolis’s starters have played all but one snap together during training camp, but it’s fair to wonder how the unit will hold up if one of the top guys goes down.
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