Colts, Trent Richardson at odds over complications with girlfriend’s pregnancy
Trent Richardson has twice been a flop to date in the NFL — first as the No. 3 overall pick in 2012 of the Cleveland Browns, then after the Indianapolis Colts traded a first-round pick for him the following year. He simply hasn’t panned out as a football player.
But some fascinating details are emerging from Richardson’s two-game suspension (without pay) in the playoffs that clearly show a divide between the team and the player.
According to the Indianapolis Star, Richardson missed the morning walkthrough and the chartered flight the morning the Colts left to play the New England Patriots in the AFC championship because of concerns over his girlfriend’s pregnancy with the child’s life potentially hanging in the balance.
Sources told the Star that the mother of the baby, who was a mere 28 weeks pregnant, was experiencing what she believed to be contractions and appeared headed toward premature labor. Richardson reportedly rushed her to the hospital early on Jan. 17 right before the team was leaving for New England.
Did Richardson fail to alert the team of his actions? Did he handle things properly? Is the team being overly harsh? Are the Colts trying to find a way to rid themselves of a player they no longer want? We don’t know that yet.
This raises a big debate here. The Colts can release Richardson, per the terms of his contract, because of what they deem to be conduct detrimental to the team, which led to the suspension. That would allow the team to void the $3.184 million in guaranteed money that’s left on his deal.
But the Colts could face a public-relations nightmare, though. People will hear “pregnant girlfriend” and “premature labor” and lose their minds if that’s deemed the reason the Colts will try to get out of the bad contract they took on.
Richardson’s camp, and perhaps the NFLPA, could file a grievance on his behalf, and there could be a lot of public support on Richardson’s behalf because of the sensitive nature of the case. The fact that Richardson has failed as a player and even reportedly ballooned up 15 or more pounds during the season are facts the Colts can use against him, but it still might not play well in the public eye.
This is an interesting case with a lot of layers to it, and it’s far from over.
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Eric Edholm is a writer for Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Eric_Edholm
