The Cleveland Browns currently have more quarterbacks than they can keep rostered into the regular season, which should create an opportunity for a trade at some point this summer.
The most likely outcome is dealing either Joe Flacco or Kenny Pickett — the two veterans on the roster aside from Deshaun Watson, whose injury and contract situations make him unmovable — for a Day 3 draft pick. However, if the Browns are willing to trade one of their recently drafted rookie quarterbacks — either Dillon Gabriel or Shedeur Sanders — along with a future mid-round draft pick of their own, there might be a better option on the table.
The Indianapolis Colts benched Anthony Richardson in favor of Flacco during the middle of last season and acquired former New York Giants and Minnesota Vikings signal caller Daniel Jones in free agency to compete with him for the starting job this preseason. All signs point to Richardson being on his last chance to establish himself as the longterm starter in Indy.
Should he fail to do so, the Colts will likely look to move him, and do so ahead of the mid-season deadline so that the receiving team can get Richardson some reps before deciding on his fifth-year option next summer. Thus, if Jones wins the job during the preseason, Cleveland could potentially make an offer of Sanders and a fourth-round pick in 2026 in exchange for Richardson.
Anthony Richardson’s Trade Value Likely to Decrease the Longer He Stays With Colts
Getty| Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson.
Richardson is entering the third season of his four-year rookie contract worth $34 million in total. However, as a former first-round pick (No. 4 overall in 2023), the Colts will have a fifth-year team option they can exercise on his deal for 2027 next offseason.
By trading for Richardson this summer or ahead of the 2025 deadline, the Browns could control Richardson’s contract rights for up to three seasons before an option to use the franchise tag to keep him in 2028 arrives.
Richardson would actually be relatively cheap over the next couple of seasons, as he carries base salaries of just over $1 million in each of those campaigns with a roster bonus of $4.2 million still owed in 2026. Indianapolis already paid the vast majority of Richardson’s first NFL contract via a $21.7 million signing bonus two years ago.
Richardson has thrown for 2,391 yards, 11 touchdowns and 13 interceptions in 15 starts across two seasons, per Pro Football Reference. He has also rushed the football 111 times for 635 yards and 10 TDs.
Colts Could Look to Move Anthony Richardson as Early as This Summer
Getty| Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson.
The Colts had four opportunities to draft Sanders before the Browns took him in the early portion of the fifth round in late April, though quarterback wasn’t high on the team’s list of needs considering Richardson is in the middle of his rookie contract and they brought in Jones ahead of draft weekend.
However, Indianapolis will know considerably more about its situation under center by the time late August rolls around. For instance, whether Richardson has meaningfully improved from last year and whether he or Jones is the likely starter come Week 1.
At that point, if Richardson hasn’t shown the required improvement and Sanders has shown flashes during camp in Cleveland, a move could start to make sense.
