Former Seahawks receiver Paul Richardson released by Washington

Washington is in rebuild mode (again) and as expected they’ve already begun the roster portion of the house cleaning.

Cornerback Josh Norman has been released, as well as a name familiar to Seattle Seahawks fans. Wide receiver Paul Richardson signed with Washington on a five-year, $40 million contract in the 2018 offseason, but he won’t even make it into the third year.

Richardson, a second-round draft pick by Seattle in the 2014 NFL Draft, ended his time with the Seahawks in the best form (and health) of his career. He caught 44 passes for 703 yards and six touchdowns in the 2017 season, building on his impressive end to the 2016 season that included this iconic catch in the playoffs against the Detroit Lions.

In Washington, Richardson was a non-factor. He caught 20 passes for 262 yards and a couple of touchdowns before a shoulder injury ended his 2018, and in 2019 he had 28 catches for 245 yards and another pair of TDs before a hamstring problem landed him on IR again.

Much like C.J. Prosise, Richardson has shown very little ability to stay healthy for a full season. He’s ended four of his six seasons in the NFL on injured reserve, plus he tore his ACL while at Colorado in 2012, which makes it five season-ending injuries over an eight-season span.

Strictly based on what we’ve seen of his abilities as a wide receiver, I’d love to have Richardson back on a cheap contract to compete for a spot on the roster. His productivity in 2017 is nothing to scoff at, but his durability certainly makes it possible that his best year in the league also doubled as his peak performance.