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Paul Richardson’s first season with the Washington Redskins came to a screeching halt, as Redskins head coach Jay Gruden announced Monday that the wide receiver was set to undergo season-ending shoulder surgery to repair an AC joint. Richardson was also dealing with a knee injury.
Despite being bothered by both issues since as early as Week 2, Richardson toughed it out missing just one game — Week 7 against Dallas — in the process through the first eight games. And he should be commended for the effort, to play through his ailments. However, his 2018 season was disappointing, especially considering the expectations placed when he arrived this off-season. And it’s more disappointing considering his production looks nearly identical to a former Redskins wider receiver’s disappointing 2017 campaign, who too had his season cut short due to injury.
Richardson finishes the season with 20 receptions on 35 targets for 262 yards and two receiving touchdowns in seven games. Last season, Terrelle Pryor had 20 receptions on 37 targets for 240 yards and one receiving touchdown in nine games with the Redskins. Richardson averaged 13.1 yards per reception and his longest catch was for 46 yards. Pryor averaged 12 yards per reception and his longest was for 44 yards.
Let's play a game called "identify the player:"
Receiver A's 2017: 20 catches for 240 yards, 1 TD
Receiver B's 2018: 20 catches for 262 yards, 2 TDs— Matthew Paras (@Matthew_Paras) November 5, 2018
Pryor’s season was cut short after opting to have ankle surgery — an injury he was dealing with since Week 2.
Pryor had signed a one-year deal worth $8 million with the Redskins in the Spring of 2017 looking for a big pay day after having a breakout season as a converted wide receiver with the Cleveland Browns.
Richardson signed a five-year deal worth $40 million this past offseason as the Redskins looked to replace the underwhelming Pryor. Richardson was coming off his best season of his young career with the Seattle Seahawks the prior season.
Keep in mind, Pryor’s attitude rubbed the locker room the wrong way. And there has not been even a whisper of any unacceptable behavior from Richardson.
Still, Richardson’s injury laminates the struggles and gambles the Redskins front office has made searching for an adequate top receiver. Looking as far back as 2012, when then-general manager Bruce Allen signed Pierre Garcon to a lucrative deal after he too was coming off a breakout season while he was in Indianapolis.
Garcon’s first year in Washington was marred by injury although he toughed it out to finish the season. He bounced back the following season catching an NFL-best 113 receptions. He would go on to have 376 receptions for 4,549 yards and 21 touchdowns in five seasons with the Redskins.
Seemingly there is a pattern for the Redskins under the watch of now-team president Bruce Allen, taking gambles on No. 2 type wide receivers with a breakout season in contract year in hopes of them progressing into a top-caliber receiver. It paid off with Garcon eventually. However, it did not with Pryor. Now, the front office can only hope that Richardson can bounce back in 2019 much like Garcon.
