The Indianapolis Colts are currently the best team in the NFL.
Their offense is potent and at times unstoppable, their defense is strong, and they're 7-1 through the season's first eight weeks.
This was far from expected. It wasn't even anticipated that Daniel Jones would beat out Anthony Richardson for the starting quarterback job, let alone lead the Colts to this kind of a start with MVP-level contributions from Jonathan Taylor.
But now, with the league's trade deadline arriving Nov. 4, the Colts have to operate as true contenders. And so that means answering questions about what they really need for the rest of the season.
ESPN's Bill Barnwell makes the case that what Indy really needs is another QB.
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Why the Colts should trade for a quarterback
The Colts' QB depth chart is thin at the moment. Richardson is out injured, and that leaves sixth-round rookie Riley Leonard as the backup.
Barnwell rattled off multiple scenarios in which a quarterback injury doomed a good season:
"The easiest way to have a great season fall to pieces is an injury to your quarterback at the wrong time. Ask the 2016 Raiders, who went 12-4, lost Derek Carr in December and had to play Connor Cook in what would be his only NFL start as they crashed out of the wild-card round. The 2015 Cardinals went 11-5 and couldn't do anything in the playoffs when they were forced to start Ryan Lindley against the Panthers. The 2020 Commanders probably weren't going to do much in the playoffs, but when Alex Smith was unable to go, they were forced to turn to Taylor Heinicke in his second career start against Tom Brady and the Bucs."
The Colts certainly don't want to be those teams.
The question becomes, who might be available? It'd have to be a veteran not currently starting. The names Kirk Cousins, Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston have all been thrown around a bit in recent weeks.
Whoever it is, the Colts wouldn't be making any kind of major statement about Richardson, whose health isn't allowing him to help, or Leonard, whose inexperience makes him a tough choice. It's about maximizing this season. And to do so, a QB trade might be the key move.
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