Reporter thinks Colts will make huge Sam Darnold, Anthony Richardson decision in free agency

Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard raised eyebrows during the NFL Scouting Combine when he said that quarterback Anthony Richardson would be part of an "open" competition for the starting job this summer. Colts insider James Boyd of The Athletic later suggested that Richardson will be Indianapolis' Week 1 starter in September. 

Not everybody is convinced the Colts will stick with Richardson roughly two years after they made him the fourth overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft. 

For an article published Tuesday morning, NFL reporter Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic predicted that the Colts will sign Minnesota Vikings signal-caller Sam Darnold in free agency. Per Dianna Russini and Mark Puleo of The Athletic, the Vikings feel that Darnold has "earned the right to be a free agent" when the new league year opens on March 12. 

"It was always going to be hard for Richardson to come back from checking himself out of a game due to fatigue," Rosenblatt explained. "He has tantalizing tools but has not shown an ability to be a consistent, starting-caliber NFL quarterback yet, and the members of Colts leadership (particularly Ballard) are on the hot seat. I wouldn’t even rule out a team calling the Colts about trading for Richardson, though his value is pretty low for someone drafted fourth overall two years ago."

Richardson returned to the starting lineup after he was benched for two November games following the "tapping out" controversy. Still, multiple injury issues limited him to just 15 starts over 32 contests across his first two pro seasons. Additionally, Pro Football Reference shows that he ended the 2024 campaign ranked last in the NFL among qualified players with a 47.7 percent completion percentage and a 61.6 passer rating. 

As for Darnold, he finished the regular season ranked sixth among qualified quarterbacks with a 102.5 passer rating, fifth with 35 passing touchdowns and fifth with 4,319 yards through the air. He's on track to become the top QB1 available in free agency, and Rosenblatt mentioned that Pro Football Focus projects that Darnold will "get a contract worth more than $40M a year."

Some think Darnold will sign a deal similar to the three-year contract reportedly worth up to $115M that Baker Mayfield received from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last offseason. 

The Colts giving Darnold $40M for even the 2025 season would almost certainly mean the end of Richardson's time with the organization. Darnold will turn just 28 years old in June, and any team that signs him presumably hopes he becomes a long-term answer at the position.

Meanwhile, it sounds like some clubs think Richardson could become available for pennies on the dollar before or after the 2025 draft.