Trent Richardson Files Grievance For Colts To Pay His 2015 Salary

Things started to get really tricky towards the end of the NFL season between running back Trent Richardson and his former team, the Indianapolis Colts. Richardson was released this off season, and on Thursday, he filed a grievance against them for voiding the $3.184 million he was to make during the 2015 season.

The way Richardson’s contract was set up, it allowed the Colts to avoid paying the final year of Richardson’s rookie contract because he was suspended for two games the day before the AFC Championship Game at New England in January.

The Colts suspended him because he didn’t notify them he would miss a walk-through the day before the game. Richardson’s wife had to go to the hospital because of complications with her pregnancy, so it wasn’t as if he was simply being irresponsible or defiant.

Richardson tried to make up for the situation by offering to fly to New England on his own dime if he couldn’t make it to the team plane before take off. Colts head coach Chuck Pagano told him not to worry about it. Richardson claimed his phone died which was why he wasn’t able to call immediately.

“Nothing would stop me from going to work other than my kids,” Richardson said Thursday. “With that, I told Coach the situation. I said I could fly in or try to make the flight. He told me, ‘We weren’t going to dress you anyway.'”

Richardson also missed making weight 14 times during the season, according to a source.

“We had made an agreement where I’d weigh 230 pounds, but it turns out that I was supposed to be 227 pounds and they didn’t tell me that,” Richardson said. “We’ve got a list of things we can use against the Colts where I can get my money back. They were fining me for failing to meet conduct code. Not making weight is not conduct code.”

Seems as if the Colts were looking for a reason to sever ties with Richardson both physically, and financially. Unfortunately, he gave them the leverage to do so.

Whose side are you on?