The Indianapolis Colts have been the NFL’s biggest surprise this season. At 7-1, they have the best record in the NFL, and quarterback Daniel Jones looks like a new player.
The team has been looking for a consistent starting quarterback ever since Andrew Luck retired, and they appear to have found it in Jones. That’s bad news for former top-10 draft pick Anthony Richardson.
He lost the battle for the starting job to Jones this offseason, and it’s clear he doesn’t have a long-term future with the team anymore. Though Richardson hasn’t lived up to his draft status, there could be a team out there interested in trading for him.
The Las Vegas Raiders decided to avoid drafting a quarterback early this year in favor of committing to Geno Smith. That has backfired, as Smith has played very poorly this season. While Richardson needs a lot of work, he could be the kind of project the Raiders need at quarterback.
Ahead of the NFL trade deadline, Brad Gagnon of Bleacher Report predicted that the Raiders would trade starting cornerback Eric Stokes to the Colts for Richardson.
“At this point, it’s pretty obvious Daniel Jones is the Colts’ guy, and equally obvious that Geno Smith is not the guy in Las Vegas,” Gagnon wrote. “So, it would make sense for the Raiders to bring in a potential reclamation project who could be in the mix for the 2026 starting job.”
Does Richardson Make Sense With Raiders?
If Richardson is going to get traded, he needs to go somewhere with a strong offensive coaching staff. Shane Steichen should’ve been the perfect coach for the young quarterback, but it clearly didn’t work out.
Raiders offensive coordinator Chip Kelly has done great work with dual-threat quarterbacks in the past, but that was mostly at the college level. He’s been struggling to call a good game this season.
That said, there are worse players to take a chance on than Richardson. We’re seeing more and more quarterbacks have success away from the teams that drafted them. Richardson has all the physical tools to be one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. He really struggles with accuracy, which is a problem, but he could at least be an intriguing backup for Smith.
Raiders Likely Need to Find QB in Draft
The Raiders have avoided drafting quarterbacks before Day 3 of the draft for years. They haven’t used a first-round pick on the position since 2007. It’s probably time for them to change that.
Quarterback is the most important position, and almost all of the great ones were first-round picks. Nine of the top-10 quarterbacks in passing yards this season were drafted in the first round.
That’s not to say that great quarterbacks can’t be found in later rounds, but it’s very rare. Eventually, the Raiders have to commit to a top rookie quarterback option. Until they do that, they are likely going to continue to have difficulty finding a long-term starter at the position. If the Raiders are looking for a savior, nothing turns a franchise around quicker than a great young quarterback.
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