The Colts suspended tailback Trent Richardson for two games, General Manager Ryan Grigson confirmed on Friday.
Grigson did not elaborate on the reason for the ban. It wasn’t immediately known whether the suspension would continue on for the 2015 season or whether it would have just encompassed the AFC title game at New England and if the Colts played in Super Bowl XLIX.
Grigson also did not shed much light on whether Richardson would return for the final year of his contract with Indianapolis, saying the tailback would be evaluated just like other players. Richardson is guaranteed $3.18 million in salary in 2015.
As PFT’s Mike Florio notes, the question now is whether the suspension will void the provision guaranteeing next season’s salary, taking the Colts off the hook for the money if they release him.
Richardson was deactivated for Sunday’s loss to the Patriots after not traveling with the club. He missed the club’s Saturday walk-through, though Richardson indicated it was for a “serious family emergency,” per ESPN.com.
Howard Balzer of The Sports Xchange reported earlier this week that Richardson had been suspended.
The Colts traded a No. 1 pick for the 24-year-old Richardson in 2013, but he has not produced as hoped. He was also a healthy scratch for the Colts’ divisional-round win at Denver.
UPDATE 1:43 p.m. ET: The second game of Richardson’s suspension carries over to 2015 if he’s a Colt, Mike Wells of ESPN.com reports.
