Cleveland Browns coach Pat Shurmur said on Sunday that rookie running back Trent Richardson will play in the team's season opener. In fact, Shurmur even went as far as saying he was "very optimistic" that Richardson would be ready, according to the Akron Beacon Journal.
"He is making great progress," Shurmur told the paper. "He'll be out there soon."
The Browns open their season on Sept. 9 against the Philadelphia Eagles, and the news comes after Richardson underwent two knee surgeries since his last college game.
Most recently, the former Alabama running back underwent arthroscopic surgery Aug. 9 on his left knee to remove loose cartilage. That came after he had surgery to repair a torn meniscus on the same knee on Feb. 3.
Taken third overall in the 2012 draft, Richardson hasn't played during the preseason, and the team had remained relatively quiet on his status until Shurmur's comments on Sunday.
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