In Chris Ballard’s post-roster cutdown press conference, the first time he’s met with the media since Daniel Jones was named the starting quarterback, he made it clear that the Indianapolis Colts don’t have any intention of trading Anthony Richardson.

“We’re not trading him,” Ballard said, via ESPN’s Stephen Holder.

Ballard added that he doesn’t agree with the sentiment that Richardson’s time with the Colts is done.

He noted that Richardson has “come miles” during his time with the Colts. And as we’ve heard Ballard mention before, he referenced that every player’s development timeline is different, and most come with ups and downs.

As the backup, Richardson will be able to continue growing his game without all eyes being on him, something that Ballard believes could be beneficial.

Cots GM Chris Ballard is starting his post-roster cuts presser.

Thread:

— Stephen Holder (@HolderStephen) August 27, 2025

While Richardson will garner much of the attention, Ballard didn’t want to overlook the job that Jones did this summer to win the starting job, even comparing him to Alex Smith from when Ballard was in Kansas City with the Chiefs.

With all of that said, I’m not sure what else Ballard was supposed to say in this situation. The reality is, Richardson’s long-term future with the Colts is very much up in the air right now because there are very few paths that lead back to him being the starting quarterback option beyond 2025.

(Please note that this article will be updated.)

This article originally appeared on Colts Wire: Colts are ‘not trading’ QB Anthony Richardson, says Chris Ballard