Richardson blames rib injury for benching

Cleveland Browns rookie running back Trent Richardson says the rib injury that has been bothering him caused him not to be as effective as he would have liked and led to his benching Sunday against Indianapolis.

Richardson sat for the second half of Sunday's loss because Browns coach Pat Shurmur indicated he "wasn't quite effective."

"Coach didn’t think I was as I usually am,” Richardson said via Ohio.com. “That’s something I have to swallow. It’s a process trying to get back. The injury I have is much bigger than what folks think it is, and I don’t want to do anything to hurt the team.

“I’m not myself out there right now. You look at me, I guess I’m not running hard like I’m used to, so I’m not out there right now. So it is worse than what people think it is.”

Richardson wore a flak jacket to protect the ribs, but Shurmur spoke that he was not playing sufficiently enough for the Browns to continue to keep him in the lineup Sunday.

“He’s no worse for wear,” Shurmur said Sunday. “In my opinion, how the game was going, [he] wasn’t quite effective. I think maybe the injury there contributed. So he didn’t injure it. He’s moving forward. Today I don’t think contributed to any setbacks.”

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Terry McCormick covers the Titans for TitanInsider.com

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