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The Steelers first two preseason games have featured limited action by the big-name starters. At most positions this makes sense. At running back, the knee injury of Le’Veon Bell combined with the age and status of DeAngelo Williams gives the Steelers a chance to take a long look at backups Fitzgerald Toussaint and Daryl Richardson, Richardson specifically.

In two games Richardson has touched the ball 24 times to just 12 for Toussaint. The Steelers are clearly interested in seeing what they have in Richardson and will have until week 3 to decide their true feelings on him.

Richardson essentially was handed a roster spot with the news of the Le’Veon bell suspension. Bell will not count against the 53-man roster for the first three games and it looks as if Williams, Toussaint and Richardson are the three locks to make the roster at running back to open the season.

Richardson was once a known commodity in fantasy football circles just a couple of years ago. Richardson was a 2012 seventh round draft pick by the then St. Louis Rams. In his rookie season, he averaged 4.8 yards per carry and entered 2013 the favorite in an open competition with Isaiah Pead and Zac Stacy.

Richardson failed to emerge from those two in 2013, and in 2014 failed to even make the roster with the drafting of running back Tre Mason. In the past two years, Richardson had bounced around and played for the Jets, Texans and Browns before finding himself on the Steelers.

Now that he is on track to make his first roster since 2013, the question is how long does he keep his spot? The answer is likely not very long.

While it is just the preseason, and some of his runs flashed speed and vision, Richardson has 2.8 yards per carry on his 21 carries. Toussaint has played less offense than Richardson this preseason, but has taken more special teams snaps and that includes opening games as the kick returner.

So while Richardson is looking for any signs of attention Toussaint is carving his name into a role that will benefit the Steelers through 16 weeks. Richardson would really have to prove himself in the first three games, but is unlikely to see legitimate carries, and if Toussaint is already ahead on special teams he serves as an emergency player only.

The Steelers are likely to carry Roosevelt Nix, a fullback which would technically give them four backs. When Bell returns, it would be unlikely that the Steelers need to hang onto five backs throughout the season. Doing so would more than likely take a roster spot away from the depth of the secondary and linebacker position. If the question came down to waiving Richardson for Bell or waiving a player like LJ Fort, Montell Garner or Tyler Matakevich it should not be a hard question.

So while Richardson has impressed in practice and has seen the reps that a guy set to make the team has seen, his roster spot still seems unlikely to be had by week four. The Steelers can keep Richardson on the practice squad, and if anything were to happen to Williams or Bell, like last year, the Steelers have a back who knows the offense and has experience running it in game situations. 

Depth-wise the Steelers are now in a better spot than they were the year before and who knows, maybe we see the 4.8 yards per carry Richardson of 2012 in an emergency scenario and he pays huge dividends. However, until that situation arises the hope is that he does not get any chances outside of the first three weeks.