After Sunday’s disappointing performance against the Colts, the Browns would surely like to avoid going into another game with a diminished Trent Richardson.
That could mean playing without him altogether. Coach Pat Shurmur said Monday that the team will evaluate Richardson’s status on a week-to-week basis to determine if his rib injury has healed enough for the rookie to be at full speed. Richardson said that he wasn’t himself during the loss to the Colts and the Browns responded by keeping him on the bench after the second quarter.
If Richardson doesn’t heal up, Shurmur hasn’t ruled out letting Richardson sit until after the team’s bye in Week 10.
“You just watch him practice and see where he’s at physically,” said Shurmur, via Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. “If he’s ready to play, he’ll play. If we see this is bothering him to the point where he can’t perform, then we’ll make those decisions as we go.”
Montario Hardesty filled in for Richardson in the second half against Indianapolis and would presumably take over the job in the event Richardson isn’t able to play.