Steelers, Raiders could have interest in $33 million QB named offseason trade candidate

Mike Moraitis

Steelers, Raiders could have interest in $33 million QB named offseason trade candidate image

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Pittsburgh Steelers and Las Vegas Raiders are two teams that have a murky situation at quarterback beyond 2025.

The Steelers have Aaron Rodgers right now, but the 41-year-old is a strong candidate to retire in 2026, which would leave Pittsburgh with shaky options like Mason Rudolph and Will Howard.

In Las Vegas, the Geno Smith experiment is not working out the way the Raiders had hoped and that could (and should) leave the Raiders exploring more quarterback options in 2026.

One player who could be available is Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson, who Bleacher Report's Brad Gagnon labeled an offseason trade candidate.

Daniel Jones has almost certainly done enough to return to the starting role in 2026, so it's an ideal time for the Colts to move on from the 23-year-old Richardson. Somebody should be willing to see if a new setting will unlock something in the 2023 No. 4 overall pick. He'd also be relatively cheap in a walk year in 2026, while saving the Colts more than $5 million in cap space.

Thanks to the emergence of Daniel Jones, the Colts no longer have any need for the former No. 4 overall pick and should consider trading him in the offseason.

Richardson will be a project, no doubt, but he's still only 23 years old and his skill set is sure to intrigue quarterback-needy teams.

The Steelers could bring Richardson in and have him compete for the starting job against Rudolph, Howard and a rookie quarterback if Pittsburgh drafts one. If Richardson rebounds, the Steelers would have their long-term solution under center.

In Las Vegas, Richardson would offer a much-needed young option behind Smith, assuming the Raiders keep him for another season. Las Vegas will likely draft a quarterback, but it doesn't hurt to take multiple cracks at finding a franchise quarterback.

Staff Writer