Richardson Returns, Too...

Tony Richardson’s no dummy. After 16 seasons, he knows how the game works.

“It's the nature of the NFL, which stands for ‘Not for Long’,” he said after Tuesday's practice.

But the veteran locker room leader admitted he was caught off guard by the Jets’ decision to cut him over the weekend in order to finalize their 53-man roster. But on Tuesday, Richardson was back on the field – though his return didn’t garner as much attention as Darrelle Revis’.

But to coach Rex Ryan, the sight of No. 49 was an even bigger deal. “That was probably the biggest story of the day, TRich being out there,” he said.

Richardson, 38, declined to give the specifics of his conversations with Ryan or general manager Mike Tannenbaum. He did, however, joke that he had considered joining forces with Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh.

“I called down to D-Wade and LeBron in Miami to see if they needed any help,” he said with a smile.

He also said he received 50 text messages and 100 e-mail messages when news of his release became public.