Richardson originally attended UCLA, but was dismissed from the team prior to his freshman season after being placed under arrest for felony theft of a purse, along with his cousin Shaquille Richardson and another teammate, Josh Shirley.[4] He then attended the University of Colorado Boulder. He played in all 12 games that year, recording 34 receptions for 514 yards and six touchdowns.[5] As a sophomore in 2011, he played in nine games recording 39 receptions for 555 yards and five touchdowns.[6] He missed four games due to injury. In April 2012, he tore his ACL which caused him to miss the season.[7] He returned as a starter in 2013. During the season, he set the school record for receiving yards in a season of 1,343 yards.[8][9] At the end of the season, Richardson announced his intent to declare for the 2014 NFL draft.[10]
Richardson was selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the second round (45th overall) in the 2014 NFL draft.[12] He made his NFL debut in the season opener against the Green Bay Packers but was not targeted.[13] In Week 3 against the Denver Broncos, Richardson caught his first career NFL reception, which was for seven yards.[14] In Week 13, he caught what would have been his first NFL touchdown, but it was called back due to a penalty. During Week 15, he caught his first NFL touchdown against the San Francisco 49ers.[15] Richardson finished with 29 receptions, 271 yards, and a touchdown in his rookie season.[16] In Seattle's opening Divisional Round matchup against the Carolina Panthers, after only having one reception for 21 yards, he went down in the third quarter with what was first believed to be a sprained knee at the time, was later revealed to be a torn ACL upon further inspection. He was then placed on injured reserve, ending his 2014–15 rookie campaign.[17] On December 5, 2015, after making a 40-yard catch, Richardson hurt his hamstring and was subsequently placed on injured reserve.[18]
Richardson had a relatively quiet season again in 2016, until starting wide receiver Tyler Lockett suffered a season-ending injury in Week 16.[19] In the Wild Card Round of the playoffs against the Detroit Lions, he recorded three catches for 48 yards, including a one-handed touchdown catch on 4th and goal.[20]
In 2017, Richardson had his best season to date with career highs with receptions (44), receiving yards (703), and touchdowns (6).[21]
Washington Redskins
Richardson signed a five-year, $40 million contract with the Washington Redskins on March 15, 2018.[22] On September 9, 2018, Richardson made his Redskins debut, catching four passes for 22 yards in the season-opening win against the Arizona Cardinals.[23] On September 16, Richardson recorded a season-high 63 yards on four receptions against the Indianapolis Colts.[24] The following week, he recorded his first touchdown as a Redskin, scoring on a 46-yard reception against the Packers.[25] On October 14, in Week 6, Richardson caught three passes for 31 yards and a touchdown against the Carolina Panthers, his second touchdown of the season.[26] On November 5, he was placed on injured reserve with a shoulder injury.[27] In the 2018 season, he appeared in seven games and recorded 20 receptions for 262 receiving yards and two touchdowns.[28]
In Week 3 of the 2019 season against the Chicago Bears, Richardson caught eight passes for 83 yards and a touchdown.[29] He was placed on injured reserve on December 14, 2019, after struggling with a nagging hamstring injury for several weeks.[30] He finished the 2019 season with 28 receptions for 245 receiving yards and two touchdowns in ten games.[31]
On February 14, 2020, Richardson was released by the Redskins.[32]
Seattle Seahawks (second stint)
Richardson re-signed with the Seahawks on August 29, 2020.[33] On September 5, 2020, Richardson was released from the Seahawks.[34]
^Alper, Josh (September 5, 2020). "Seahawks release Paul Richardson". ProFootballTalk. NBC Sports. Archived from the original on September 18, 2020. Retrieved September 5, 2020.