Trent Richardson Suspension Reportedly Came After Tending to Pregnant Girlfriend

Indianapolis Colts running back Trent Richardson was reportedly dealing with a life-threatening situation involving his pregnant girlfriend when he missed the team's walkthrough ahead of the AFC Championship Game last month.

Stephen Holder of The Indianapolis Star reports Richardson's girlfriend was showing signs of premature labor after just 28 weeks of pregnancy. The ensuing trip to the hospital is what caused him to miss the final workout before the title game:

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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.

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Dan Hanzus of NFL.com noted Richardson was suspended for two games as a result of the missed practice and flight. He also included comments from Colts general manager Ryan Grigson, who admitted the future was unclear for the running back.

"The thing is, every situation is different," Grigson said. "Every player and how we deal with him is gonna be different. But he'll be lumped into that conversation with guys this offseason—where's he fit? Where is he going? Is his arrow up, down, sideways, 45-degree angle?—and we gotta figure all these things out."

One game remains on Richardson's suspension heading into next season should the team decide to keep him and enforce it.

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The Indianapolis Star report states a contract issue may become the center of the debate, though. The Colts could argue his actions were conduct detrimental to the team. That would allow them to void the final year of his contract and release him.

Since it was such a crucial personal issue for Richardson, there would likely be pushback if Indianapolis attempted to go down that road. The report also points out the suspension originally stemmed from his failure to notify the team in a timely manner.

The Colts could release Richardson without invoking the clause but would then be forced to pay his guaranteed base salary for the 2015 season. It would be a surprise if he's back with the team due to poor on-field performance, but how the team handles it will be the story.