Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh came to Trent Richardson's defense one day after cutting the former No. 3-overall pick.
"It's amazing to me -- and I guess I'll get on my soapbox here, because I'm allowed to -- it's amazing to me the vitriol and really the hate out there that people want to put out," Harbaugh said Wednesday, via the Baltimore Sun.
"All he's done is come in here, work as hard as he can. He's got a knee [injury and we have] a roster decision. He's done nothing wrong, he's still trying very hard. He's just a young guy who's trying his best to make it in this league."
Richardson hasn't found his footing in the NFL since the Browns drafted him in 2012. The former Alabama star running back rushed for 11 touchdowns his rookie season but was traded to the Colts two games into his second year.
Many believed Richardson would be the perfect complement to Colts QB Andrew Luck, but he failed to live up to expectations, averaging just 3.1 yards per carry during his brief time in Indianapolis. The Colts waived him at the end of the 2014 season.
The Raiders took a chance on Richardson but cut him before the start of the 2015 season. The Ravens signed Richardson in April but decided to cut him Tuesday.
But Harbaugh hinted that GM Ozzie Newsome and the Ravens might give Richardson another look.
"Ozzie had a conversation with him about him, I talked to him at length about a lot of things, about life, about his career, but about his potentially coming back," Harbaugh said. "He's definitely still on our radar."
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