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By Rowan Fisher-Shotton
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Anthony Richardson Sr. requested a trade in February after the Indianapolis Colts committed to Daniel Jones as their starting quarterback.
Richardson was selected fourth overall in the 2023 NFL Draft to be the franchise's long-term answer, but has struggled through a disappointing first few seasons in Indianapolis. Still, Colts general manager Chris Ballard has insisted throughout the summer that the team intends to keep Richardson on the roster and has no plans to trade him right now. The trade request remains in place, however, and Richardson has made clear he wants to play elsewhere.
Throughout training camp, Richardson has been competing with last year's sixth-round pick, Riley Leonard, for the backup job while Jones recovers from a torn Achilles. Jones is expected to be ready for Week 1, but coming off such a serious injury, head coach Shane Steichen confirmed Tuesday that Jones won't play at all during the preseason. That means the Colts' regular-season opener on Sunday, Sept. 13, against the Baltimore Ravens at Lucas Oil Stadium will likely be fans' first look at Jones in a live, competitive setting since the injury.
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As for preseason plans, Steichen announced Tuesday that Richardson — not Leonard — will start the team's preseason opener against the New England Patriots on Thursday at Gillette Stadium.
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The decision is somewhat surprising given reports out of camp that Richardson had been struggling, specifically with shotgun snaps. It's possible the move is designed to boost his trade value — if Richardson performs well, more teams could show interest before the regular season begins, potentially driving up the Colts' asking price.
Steichen has said Richardson and Leonard will split snaps in the preseason opener, and how both players perform over the coming weeks will determine not just who wins the backup job behind Jones, but also Richardson's future with the Colts.
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