NFL rumors: 4 veteran QB options Colts eyeing to compete with Anthony Richardson

Colts looking to bolster their quarterback room in the 2025 offseason.

The Indianapolis Colts have not yet given up on Anthony Richardson as their quarterback, but they are not fully sold on him either. Ahead of the 2025 offseason, the Colts are reportedly eyeing several veteran options in free agency.

At his end-of-season presser, general manager Chris Ballard expressed his desire to give Richardson competition over the summer. With that goal still in mind, the Colts are rumored to be examining all their options, including former starters Daniel Jones and Justin Fields, per ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. Indianapolis is also interested in career backups Jacoby Brissett and Trey Lance.

“As the Colts look for veteran quarterback options, names on their radar include Daniel Jones, Justin Fields, Trey Lance and Jacoby Brissett,” Fowler wrote. “This is a mix of quarterbacks who can support Anthony Richardson and guys who will be looking to start games somewhere. Indianapolis has not given up on Richardson, but how the team approaches the free agency period will be telling.”

Once free agency begins, the Colts will have no quarterback other than Richardson on contract. They signed 40-year-old Joe Flacco to a one-year deal a year ago, and practice squad mainstay Sam Ehlinger's four-year deal lasted through the 2024 season. Ballard has seemingly no interest in re-signing either Flacco or Ehlinger.

Two years into his tenure, head coach Shane Steichen is an even 17-17 with the Colts. Most of the team's immediate success is reliant on his development of Richardson, whom Indianapolis took with the No. 4 overall pick in 2023. Richardson has just 15 starts in his two-year career and has already been benched once.

Colts 2025 free agency quarterback options

The 2025 quarterback market is less than exciting, but a team like the Colts looking for a veteran backup will have its options. Sam Darnold headlines the short list of potential starters on the market, along with Jones and Fields.

Several dual-threat quarterbacks on the market would form an ideal pairing with Richardson. While Fields would provide intense competition, a guy like Marcus Mariota, who was the perfect backup to Jayden Daniels in 2024, would be a great teammate for the 22-year-old Richardson.

The Colts could also potentially find their solution in the trade market. Despite effectively releasing Desmond Ridder, the Las Vegas Raiders are expected to potentially make Gardner Minshew II available. Steichen worked with Minshew on the Philadelphia Eagles in 2021 and 2022.

While the Colts could also find their answer at the 2025 NFL Draft, Ballard and Steichen are determined to find a veteran to join Richardson in the locker room. However, Indianapolis could still use one of their seven picks to take a late-round flier.