Cleveland Browns first-round draft pick Trent Richardson is expected to play in the team’s regular season opener against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sept. 9, ESPN reported.
The Browns are expected to limit Richardson’s workload until his he has more time to recover from his most recent surgery on his knee.
Renowned surgeon Dr. James Andrew performed what the team called “routine arthroscopic” surgery on Richardson’s right knee in Pensacola, Florida on August 9.
Andrew had performed a similar procedure on Richardson on Feb. 3 to repair a torn meniscus the running back suffered in the same knee while playing for Alabama during its victory over LSU in the BCS National Championship game.
Richardson, the third overall pick out of Alabama, hasn’t practiced since last getting the joint scoped, but team president Mike Holmgren said that there are plans for Richardson to get some work on the field next week.
Cleveland drafted him with the expectation that his impressive blend of speed and power running would provide an instant lift to a Browns offense lacking in playmakers.
Richardson signed a four-year, $20.5 million contract last month that was fully guaranteed and included a signing bonus of $13.3 million.
Anticipation about his presence in the backfield became even greater with the recent news that rookie quarterback Brandon Weeden would be the team’s starter. The Browns desperately want a running game to alleviate some of the pressure from Weeden.
The excitement has extended to Cleveland fans as well. A record-crowd of roughly 4,200 people made their way to the field for the start of the Browns training camp last month.
Second-year running back Montario Hardesty has played well in Richardson’s absence, but is nowhere near the homerun threat, either running or catching the ball.
Cleveland plays its third preseason game of the year tonight when it faces Philadelphia, but the Browns are optimistic that Richardson’s return will mean thing will be entirely different when the teams met for real on Sept. 9.
