Getty Indianapolis Colts QB Anthony Richardson

The Cincinnati Bengals will be without starting quarterback Joe Burrow, as he suffered a turf toe injury against the Jacksonville Jaguars, which will require surgery and sideline him for three months.

Backup quarterback Jake Browning led the Bengals to victory after stepping in for Burrow, throwing for 241 yards and 2 touchdowns despite throwing 3 interceptions.

While Browning may have had a decent performance, it begs the question of whether he will be starting the next few months while Burrow recovers from his injury as a permanent option.

The Athletic’s Dave Niinemet’s created a list of quarterbacks the Bengals could target if Browning won’t be the starter, with him naming Indianapolis Colts backup QB Anthony Richardson as a possibility.

“Richardson would give the Bengals a totally different dynamic at quarterback and maybe, with Cincinnati’s top-notch offensive weapons, he could find his groove. However, he would also create an all-new set of problems for [Zac] Taylor and [Dan] Pitcher, as they would have to remake the offense on the fly to cater to Richardson’s skill set. Plus, he’s still a project, which isn’t conducive to a win-now approach,” Niinemets’ wrote.

“It might not take much to pry Richardson away from the Colts now that [Daniel] Jones is shining, and Richardson is still on a rookie contract, but it’s hard to see how he would instantly make the Bengals any better than they are with Browning at the helm.”

Anthony Richardson In Indianapolis

GettyIndianapolis Colts QB Anthony Richardson

Anthony Richardson was in a position battle with Daniel Jones to see who would become the starting quarterback for the organization, ultimately losing.

The former fourth overall pick now finds himself on the bench for the third time in his career. As Niinemet’s mentioned, Richardson is on his rookie contract and it appears unlikely that the Colts (or any other team) will exercise the QB’s fifth-year option.

Jones has been performing well for the Colts, having thrown over 500 yards and 2 touchdown passes without an interception, leading Indy to a 2-0 start.

Richardson could benefit from learning from a change of scenery and learning from Pitcher, who helped develop Joe Burrow.

If the Bengals were interested in pursuing Richardson’s talent, they would have to acquire the player before the trade deadline in early November.

“[Richardson’s] proven that he has the physical skills to be an NFL starter, but his struggles with accuracy have kept him from sticking as coach Shane Steichen’s guy,” Niinemets wrote.

Richardson In Cincinnati

Getty Cincinnati Bengals QB Joe Burrow

If Anthony Richardson were to find himself on the Bengals, he could use it as a final attempt to prove that he is a starting-caliber quarterback in the league.

The Colts have seemed to move on from him after making Jones the starter, instead of a quarterback who has familiarity with the coaching staff and offensive scheme.

While it is unlikely Richardson will unseat Joe Burrow from his starting spot, if he performs well enough, Richardson can find himself a starting spot elsewhere in the league. If not, he can be a valuable backup to QBs around the NFL.

The Colts and Richardson’s agent have spoken about the player’s future in the offseason. At the time, there was a discussion of trading the player. With Burrow hurt, Cincy might make some phone calls to help the offense.