Anthony Richardson

Introduction

Anthony Richardson Sr. is a 24-year-old professional football quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts, taken fourth overall in the 2023 NFL Draft after three seasons at the University of Florida, who was charged on October 19, 2026 with misdemeanor possession of marijuana following a traffic stop in Carmel, Indiana six days earlier. According to court records and a probable cause affidavit first reported by Fox59/CBS4, officers smelled marijuana coming from his car, found a Mason jar of suspected marijuana and an opened bag of THC gummies in the glove compartment, and issued him a summons after he admitted smoking in the vehicle. He was not arrested, and a bench trial is scheduled for January 4, 2027 .

Background Information

Richardson entered the league with one of the most talked-about physical profiles of his draft class: the Colts selected him fourth overall in 2023 after three years at Florida, and head coach Shane Steichen named him the starting quarterback during his rookie season. That year lasted just four games — a concussion and an AC joint sprain that required surgery ended it — and injuries continued to cost him starts in 2024, when he also drew criticism for taking himself out of a Week 8 matchup with the Texans because, in his words, he “needed a breather” . In 2025 the Colts signed Daniel Jones and Richardson moved to the backup role, and in April 2026 the team declined his fifth-year option, setting him up to become a free agent after the 2026 season .

The Controversy or Incident That Led to Their Cancellation

Charged, not convicted. The account below comes from court documents, a probable cause affidavit, and coverage citing them. The charge — Class B misdemeanor possession of marijuana — is an accusation. Richardson has not been tried, no plea is on record, and he is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

The stop happened on October 12, 2026, when a Carmel Police Department officer pulled over a black 2023 Dodge Charger near Springmill Boulevard and Silver Stream Drive, just north of 136th Street, after noticing the license plate did not match the vehicle’s registration and that the registration was expired. The officer wrote that he immediately smelled marijuana coming from the car as he approached, and that Richardson was the sole occupant .

According to the affidavit, Richardson told the officer he had smoked marijuana inside the car because he did not want to smoke in front of his children, and said there was a small amount of marijuana in the vehicle. He was then asked to exit, detained in handcuffs while officers searched the Dodge, and the search turned up a small Mason jar holding roughly five grams of suspected marijuana and an opened bag of THC-infused gummies in the glove compartment. Court documents state the substances tested positive for THC, and both were collected as evidence .

Richardson was allowed to leave without being arrested: he received a citation for the expired registration and a summons for possession of marijuana. The Hamilton County prosecutor’s office formally filed the Class B misdemeanor charge on October 19, per court records. The case sits in Carmel City Court, where online records show his initial hearing — originally set for December 9 — was waived, leaving a bench trial scheduled for January 4, 2027 .

Public Reaction and Consequences

The story broke publicly on October 23, when Fox59/CBS4 reported on the court documents, and national outlets including ESPN and NBC Sports’ ProFootballTalk picked it up within hours. The Colts issued a statement acknowledging the charge without defending him: “We are aware of the situation involving Anthony Richardson and are currently gathering additional information. We will have no further comment at this time” . Richardson himself has not publicly commented, and no statement from him or an attorney appears in the coverage; the New York Post framed the news bluntly in its own post about the story, calling him a “draft bust” . No suspension, fine, or roster move from the Colts or the NFL had been announced as of October 23 .

Current Status

As of October 23, 2026, Richardson faces one count of Class B misdemeanor marijuana possession in Carmel City Court. The charge is unadjudicated: his initial hearing was waived, no plea is on record, and the case is set for a bench trial on January 4, 2027. He was never arrested and was released at the scene with a citation and a summons. Neither the Colts nor the league has announced any disciplinary action, and Richardson remains under contract with Indianapolis through the 2026 season, with his fifth-year option already declined .

Impact on Their Career/Life

The charge lands on a career already at a crossroads. Richardson lost his starting job to Daniel Jones in 2025, watched the Colts decline his fifth-year option in April, and heads toward free agency after this season with a pending criminal case now attached to his name. He is set to appear in Carmel City Court for a bench trial on January 4, 2027, per court records, and remained on the Colts’ roster with no announced discipline as the news spread. For a quarterback whose tenure in Indianapolis has been defined by injuries and inconsistency, the case adds a legal overhang to what was already a make-or-break stretch of his career .

Sources

Fox59/CBS4, “Docs: Colts’ Anthony Richardson Sr. charged with marijuana possession in Carmel,” October 23, 2026 — source
ESPN, “Colts QB Anthony Richardson Sr. charged with marijuana possession,” October 23, 2026 — source
WTHR 13News, “Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson Sr. charged with marijuana possession in Hamilton County,” October 23, 2026 — source
WIBC, “Colts’ Anthony Richardson Sr. Faces Marijuana Charge After Carmel Traffic Stop,” October 23, 2026 — source
NBC Sports ProFootballTalk, “Anthony Richardson charged with misdemeanor marijuana possession,” October 23, 2026 — source
NY Post, “Anthony Richardson charged for marijuana possession,” October 23, 2026 — source
NY Post on X, “Colts draft bust Anthony Richardson charged with marijuana possession after traffic stop,” October 23, 2026 — source