Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
When the Indianapolis Colts traded for Trent Richardson in the beginning of the 2013 season, many thought this was an excellent deal as it would give Andrew Luck a running option and another playmaker. At the time, Richardson was fresh off his stellar rookie season. Luck and Richardson were taken in the top three of the 2012 NFL Draft, so it was easy to see why many labeled this combination as one of the best duos in the league.
Unfortunately for the running back, Richardson has fallen out of favor in Indianapolis after the Colts’ bye week in 2013. Since Week 7 of the 2013 season, Richardson has only had two games where he had more than 10 carries. In fact, Richardson lost his starting job last year to Donald Brown. As Colts fans saw in Week 1, Richardson is taking a backseat again on the depth chart to veteran Ahmad Bradshaw. All of this is ridiculously upsetting considering Richardson will be entering the prime of his career over the next two years.
Going forward, the Colts will be a bad defense on Monday night against the Philadelphia Eagles, but Richardson hasn’t shown anything that would make me start him in any fantasy league. It’s sad because he had so much potential coming out of Alabama. Until Richardson shows that he can consistently put it together from week-to-week, Richardson should stay on your bench. Don’t cut him just yet, but the clock is starting to tick on him. In my opinion, Richardson should not be in your lineup in Week 2.
Ryan Ratty is a featured writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @RyanRattyNFL or add him to your network on Google.
