Breaking: Insider reveals Colts tried to pull off a stunning signing to help Anthony Richardson

Well, that would have been fun.

The Indianapolis Colts attempted to make a splash this offseason. According to Adam Schefter, the Colts and two other teams attempted to trade for Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson before the 2024 NFL Draft. Unfortunately for the Colts and the other teams (the Jets and 49ers), the Vikings made it obvious that they would not trade the great wide out.

“”Every team that called the Vikings before the draft was told ‘we’re not trading him,'” Schefter said (six-minute mark). “The conversations went nowhere with anybody.””

Imagine if the Colts could have worked something out for Jefferson. They would have had to give up a lot of draft capital and possibly a crucial player, but if they had done so and still extended Michael Pittman Jr., their wide receiving triumvirate would be Jefferson, Pittman, and Adonai Mitchell. This isn’t even mentioning Josh Downs, who has been excellent.

This would have eliminated Anthony Richardson’s excuses when it came to his targets, and it would have been a major boost for the Colts offense.

Colts reportedly reached out to Vikings about Justin Jefferson

The Vikings ultimately extended Jefferson’s deal for four years, costing $140 million, with $110 million guaranteed. There is no doubt that Jefferson deserved his contract, and the Vikings plainly never believed that they would be unable to reach an agreement with him.

However, one thing is clear: the Colts’ investigation was unsuccessful. It would have been a lot of joy to see Jefferson wear blue and white and receive passes from Richardson over the years. While we won’t see it anytime soon, situations can change, and Jefferson may become available on the trade market, allowing the Colts to swoop in and bring him to Indianapolis.

For now though, Colts fans will have to “settle” on watching Pittman, Mitchell, and Downs. Fans will probably be okay with that.