Cleveland Browns: Trent Richardson's Status Still Unclear, But Expect Him to Play Week 1

By Tyler Robinson
NFL Writer

With the regular season right around the corner, Trent Richardson is quite the mystery in Cleveland.

Since undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery three weeks ago, the No. 3 overall pick in April’s draft hasn’t practiced and failed to see any action in the preseason.

However, Richardson was spotted at Saturday’s practice riding a stationary bike, the first time Cleveland media members have seen him at practice since the surgery.

At the time of the procedure it was generally thought that Richardson would be ready in plenty of time for the regular season. But with one week until the Browns open the season against the Philadelphia Eagles, Richardson’s availability gets murkier by each passing day.

According to the Cleveland Plain Dealer, head coach Pat Shurmur remains optimistic the Richardson will be ready for Week 1 despite his lack of practice time. General manager Tom Heckert remarked Saturday that Richardson is so physically gifted that he shouldn’t need that much practice time to be ready to play.

“He’s a different cat,” Heckert told the Plain Dealer. “I don’t know if he’s going to get 50 carries, but he’ll play if he’s ready.”

Others aren’t so confident about Richardson’s readiness. ESPN Cleveland’s Tony Grossi tweeted Saturday that he doesn’t expect the Richardson to play against the Eagles.

Perhaps the Browns are being vague about Richardson’s status as a way of Bill Belichick-esque gamesmanship towards the Eagles. While Philadelphia has plenty of film, as well as direct experience from their preseason game against Cleveland, to prepare for backup running backs Montario Hardesty and Brandon Jackson, Richardson could be viewed by the Browns as somewhat of a “secret weapon.”

The Browns are likely aware that the Eagles are stocked with a more talented roster, so if there’s any advantage to be gained by keeping mum on Richardson’s status, Cleveland will surely try and exploit it.

Another possible scenario is that Richardson suffered a setback in his recovery, something that Heckert denied. But if Richardson has in fact fell behind in his rehab, the long-term benefits of holding out the projected franchise player vastly outweigh whatever production he could provide against the Eagles, and the Browns should keep Richardson on the shelf as long as necessary.

The mystery surrounding Richardson’s availability will undoubtedly become clearer as Cleveland begins its game week preparations, as he will definitely not play against Eagles without getting any reps in practice.

With all the hype and excitement around Cleveland in regards to the addition of Richardson to the Browns’ offense, his absence for any games early on would be very deflating for the team and fans.

If there’s any chance, even if just in a limited role, expect to see Richardson on the field Sept. 9 against Philadelphia.

Follow Tyler on Twitter: @TRob27

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