While it hasn't come back to bite the Detroit Lions where it hurts quite yet, it's hard to suggest that Brad Holmes, Dan Campbell, and the other decision-makers within the franchise have been significantly banking on the continued health of starting quarterback Jared Goff during his tenure in the Motor City.
With free agency just under two weeks away, Goff is the only quarterback under contract for Detroit for the 2026 campaign. Given that Kyle Allen provided the franchise little reason to bring him back this offseason, a search should be underway for the next man up behind the Pro Bowl signal caller.
While seeing the Lions select a quarterback at some point in April's draft shouldn't come as a surprise, this team will need a veteran capable of stepping in and keeping the offense humming if Goff were forced to miss time due to an injury.
This is why recent comments from Anthony Richardson's agent to Fox Sports should be enough to catch the attention of Detroit's front office, as the former first-round pick appears to be open to the idea of sitting behind an established veteran for the 2026 season as a means of rebuilding his stock, while also continuing to learn from one of the best and brightest minds at the position.
"Nothing is off the table," Rogers told Henry McKenna of Fox Sports. "That's why we're intrigued."
Anthony Richardson Worth the Gamble as Jared Goff's Backup
The Indianapolis Colts have made it known that Richardson is not part of their plans moving forward, all but eliminating any leverage they would have in negotiations with teams like Detroit.
For the Lions, if the cost is a Day 3 draft pick, which would seem likely given past trades involving one-time starting QBs, there is no real downside to taking what would be a big swing on a player who was widely considered a talented prospect coming out of the University of Florida.
As has been the case before in this league, sometimes a fresh start is all a player needs to turn things around. Detroit can offer Richardson this, and it appears that is exactly what the QB and his representation are looking for.
"He needs a fresh start. [His next team] is gonna be surprised to find out how smart he is," Rogers told me. "When he was drafted, he was 20 years old. So now he's mature. He's seen a lot. … I just think his next stop — it's going to be box office."
Rogers added, "He's got something to prove. He's going to do his job. He's going to give his team the best chance to win. He's excited."
One of the ways that Richardson will be able to help whatever franchise takes him on can be found in the fact that the Lions, or any other team, would not be on the hook for his entire $10 million salary for the 2026 campaign.
Richardson still has plenty to prove in this league, and with other NFC North foes such as the Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings also in the market for a QB, it would behoove Detroit to make a move before their division rivals have a chance to do the same.
According to ESPN's Stephen Holder, if a team trades for Richardson this offseason, they would need to pay only $5.385M in salary and the roster bonus he is due in August. Considering the upside Richardson presents as a QB2, this isn't an outlandish number to have to pay to bring him into the fold.
Whether the Lions agree with this sentiment remains to be seen. They can do a whole lot worse than Richardson, though, and at some point they cannot just rely on Goff making it through a full 17-game schedule after the signal caller has managed to do so over the last four seasons.