Trent Richardson and the Indianapolis Colts are headed for an ugly ending. Richardson has been a bust since entering the NFL and is likely to be jettisoned out of Indianapolis at some point.
Richardson was suspended for two games without pay for not contacting the team prior to missing the walkthrough and flight before last month’s AFC Championship Game against the New England Patriots. The Colts call it conduct detrimental to the team, but Richardson is calling foul because of a medical issue with his girlfriend.
sources said his absence was the result of serious complications with his girlfriend’s pregnancy that could potentially have endangered the life of the child.
These sources said the mother was experiencing contractions and appeared to be in premature labor at just 28 weeks of pregnancy.
Richardson, sources said, rushed her to the hospital in the early-morning hours of Jan. 17 — the same day the team departed for the New England game — missing that morning’s walkthrough in Indianapolis and the team’s chartered flight.
The shady business stems from the Colts deeming Richardson’s actions detrimental. Such a claim allows the Colts to cut the underperforming running back without paying the final season of his current contract.
Default language in Richardson’s contract permits the Colts to release him and void the remaining $3.184 million in guaranteed money for a wide range of reasons. Those reasons include a failure to report, incarceration and — as is the case here — suspension by the team.