Bradshaw Confident He’ll Be Ready for Week 1

September 22, 2013; San Francisco, CA, USA; Indianapolis Colts running back Ahmad Bradshaw (44) runs the ball against the San Francisco 49ers during the first quarter at Candlestick Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

The Indianapolis Colts are heading into a very intriguing situation as far as running back is concerned this season, especially due to the injury that Vick Ballard suffered. They are hoping that Trent Richardson can turn things around this year and reach his full potential, but he didn’t look good in the first preseason game. If that doesn’t end up happening, the Colts will have both Ahmad Bradshaw and Dan “Boom” Herron to turn to.

Bradshaw would likely be the very first option that the Colts would turn to, and he is confident that he will be completely healthy and ready to play in Week 1. He may not play during the preseason for Indianapolis, but it is not because he is injured or unable to play. The Colts are working to get him ready for the season, because they know that his role might be more than just Richardson’s primary backup.

Last season with the Colts, Bradshaw played in just three regular season games. He carried the football 41 times for 186 yards and two touchdowns, but perhaps the most interesting underrated part o his game is his ability to catch the ball out of the backfield. The Colts have one of the best young quarterbacks in the game with Andrew Luck, and having a threat like Bradshaw out of the backfield would make him even more dangerous.

He has had some great experience with the New York Giants, and has even won two rings with them. The Giants used him in a dual-back system along with Brandon Jacobs, and the Colts could decide to do with that with him and Herron. Either way, Bradshaw has the potential to be used in a much larger role than the media has been expecting to this point in time.

Overall, this is good news for the Colts and makes them much more comfortable with the inconsistent Richardson. Bradshaw will bring a great veteran presence to go along with the experience, and will be more than capable of stepping up and producing good numbers if called upon. Don’t be surprised to see him get a good amount of touches this year even if Richardson performs well.