Trent Richardson Aims for 1,000-Plus Yards

Nov 24, 2013; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Indianapolis Colts running back

(34) against the Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium. The Cardinals defeated the Colts 40-11. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Trent Richardson has not just raised the bar for 2014; he’s placed his goal among the elites.

Per the Indianapolis Star, Richardson had to say about his 2014 goals:

"“A thousand is not the goal. For me, it’s personal. I’m going to keep it to myself. But a thousand is not it for me. It’s higher”"

You gotta hand it to the guy, he’s not afraid to aim for the sky. This is quite an extreme goal for Richardson to go for, considering he hasn’t sniffed 1,000 yards in his two-year career. After 950 in his first year in Cleveland, he recorded 458 yards on the ground last season; not even half of the intended goal.

Richardson’s 2013 was nothing less than a disaster following a mid-season trade to Indianapolis after just two weeks with the Browns. He went on to post a paltry 2.9 YPC average on the year, the lowest among starting running backs in the NFL. Trent Richardson would be the leader of an Indianapolis team that would finish at 20th in the NFL in total rushing yards per game. He looked lost at times and his effort was low.

Now that Richardson has had an offseason to acclimate himself to his new team, bigger things can be expected from him. 458 yards and 2.9 YPC just isn’t going to cut it in Indy anymore, and he knows that he has a gigantic amount of pressure to perform. Early looks in training camp see him making a huge impact, looking like an entirely different back than we saw last season.

If Richardson reaches his lofty goals, it could be monumental in Indianapolis. The Colts haven’t had a 1,000-yard rusher since Joseph Addai‘s 2007 campaign. To go further, Richardson wants to raise the limit over 1,000. The last 1,100 yard rusher that the Colts had was the great Edgerrin James back in 2005. If Richardson wants to aim high, that’s great; Colts fans are ready to see the return of a dominant running game.

Overall, Trent Richardson has an opportunity with the Colts to be a featured back again. He has the physical ability to post the numbers that he desires, but lacked the knowledge and comfort of the system last year. If he regains the spunk, Richardson could explode for 1,000+ yards and could potentially make the Colts one of the most dangerous, multi-faceted offenses in the league.

Aiming high never hurt anyone.