With roster cutdown day on the horizon, Pittsburgh Steelers fans can already see how a quarterback dilemma is brewing. Aaron Rodgers is the starter and Mason Rudolph is the backup, but Will Howard is dealing with a hand injury and Skylar Thompson is having an impressive preseason.
When it comes to the third and final QB spot, keeping Howard still feels like the right choice... but what if there's a better option—a trade option that wouldn't cost the team much?
The Indianapolis Colts recently named Daniel Jones as their starting quarterback, and they don't plan on going back to Anthony Richardson. After officially pulling the plug on the fourth overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, Richardson is considered to be on the trade block.
That's where the Steelers come in.
There's extremely little chance at this point that Richardson becomes the Josh Allen-type franchise quarterback the Colts were hoping for when they drafted him, but rolling the dice on the 23-year-old as a depth option is better than keeping a 28-year-old Skylar Thompson as a QB3.
Suddenly, the Steelers and Colts feel like possible trade partners, and this package would be too good for GM Omar Khan to pass up.
The Pittsburgh Steelers should roll the dice on a Anthony Ricardson trade
In all likelihood, we've seen enough of Anthony Richardson to know that he's not going to reach his ceiling. However, we've also seen how a change of scenery and a different coaching staff can make all the difference for a young QB. Take Sam Darnold, for instance, who looked like a colossal bust as a third overall pick before reviving his career on the Minnesota Vikings in 2024.
Richardson's career likely won't take the same route, but the traits and tools to work with are undeniable. Finding a player with his combination of size, athletic traits, and arm strength is nearly impossible, and he's worth the roll of the dice.
Instead of cutting Skylar Thompson outright, the Steelers could include the former Dolphins backup QB in the trade. This might not sweeten the deal much, but just enough to net a seventh-round pick back from the Colts. This would give Indy the security of a veteran QB behind Daniel Jones if rookie Riley Leonard isn't ready to step into action in the event of an early-season injury.
In this hypothetical trade, I have the Steelers sending the Colts Thompson and a 2026 fourth-round pick for Richardson and a 2026 seventh-round pick. This Day 3 pick swap would ensure that the Steelers still have 12 projected draft selections to work with next April.
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The low cost of the trade would make Richardson expendable if the experiment goes south. With Richardson added to the roster, the Steelers could feel more comfortable with stashing Will Howard on season-ending IR, making Richardson the QB3 behind Aaron Rodgers and Mason Rudolph.
The best part of this is that Richardson is actually younger than Will Howard, and his presence would give Pittsburgh another dart to throw against the wall and see if it sticks. Richardson will still be 23 years old after the 2026 NFL Draft, and with another year to develop, you never know what could happen.
Trading for Richardson means that he would be unlikely to see the football field this season, but that's a good thing. The raw quarterback can sit and learn behind seasoned veterans Aaron Rodgers and Mason Rudolph.
Then, in 2026, Richardson could compete with Rudolph, Will Howard, and potentially a rookie QB for pecking order on the team's depth chart. And if the Steelers get lucky, maybe the 6'4'', 244-pound quarterback—with a rocket arm and lethal legs—turns his career around.
At the cost of Skylar Thompson (who is unlikely to make the Steelers' final roster) and a Day 3 pick swap in the 2026 NFL Draft, this should be a no-brainer trade package for Omar Khan and the front office.