Dominic Rhodes has been hurt by the Indianapolis Colts.

Rhodes, a running back who spent 2001-2006 and 2008 with the Colts and was one of the team’s most popular players in and out of the locker room, signed on Monday with the Buffalo Bills. During his news conference in Northern New York, he expressed hurt that the Colts hadn’t re-signed him, or at least made an effort to do so.

This was an easy one to predict.

But it’s a story that despite Rhodes’ feelings really doesn’t have a villain. And I think deep down, he knows that.

Rhodes, during the introductory news conference, was asked if he was surprised the Colts didn’t make more of an effort to sign him and if he was surprised he had been on the market so long. His response:

Both of them, I was real surprised about, especially after the year I had. The Colts, more bitter. I was a little bitter, and then I started to understand. It is a business and that’s kind of how it goes. And I was like, ‘OK, that’s fine.’ I know how (Colts President) Bill Polian is, but I knew they wanted me, I don’t know. It was a frustrating time for me.

He went on:

As far as being on the market, that was also a frustrating time, I was like, ‘Man, what’s up?’ I can’t believe the year that I had and then I’m still sitting around. As everyone knows, it has a lot to do with some of the things that happened off of the field with me which I haven’t shied away from. I’ve learned from them and it was two years ago, so I was like. ‘Gosh, what’s up?’ That was definitely a reason why a lot of teams kind of shied away . . . They want to have somebody that they can rely on. That’s with everyone. You have to respect that. That’s kind of the reason, I guess.

To be honest, I’m not sure Rhodes’ off-field problems had much to do with him not getting signed. He’s a nine-year veteran running back and that’s old for a player at his position, particularly one who hasn’t had 1,000-yard season since his rookie season. Rhodes had value to the Colts because he knew the system, but often a player’s value doesn’t translate as well away from a team with which he is comfortable and familiar.

He also was asked if he looked forward to the 2009 regular-season finale, when the Colts will visit Buffalo.

Oh, most definitely. You know, forget the last game, I’m talking about all 16 games. I want them to definitely understand that I’m hurt. I’m a little hurt. I’m excited about this situation and what’s going on here. They’re putting together some great pieces and it’s a younger team and I think there’s just a couple pieces here and there and that’s what I’ve learned through my years of playing this game and being with the Colts. You get a couple pieces here and there, you knock out a couple pieces here and there that don’t fit what you’re doing or aren’t even trying to fit what you’re doing, and you can be in the Super Bowl before you know it and that’s just how it goes.

I smiled when I read this, not because I’m happy Rhodes is upset with the Colts, but because the news conference was vintage Rhodes. He wants to say the right thing, and be diplomatic, but it’s not in him. He deep down is just a real, honest good guy and yeah, he’s hurt by the Colts, as anyone would be.

But what Rhodes may realize someday is the Colts made the right decision when it came to him, and made a decision entirely in step with their usual moves in free agency. The unusual thing was bringing Rhodes back for a year last year after he signed with the Oakland Raiders as a free agent in 2007. Rhodes is in his ninth season, and the Colts’ philosophy is when all else is equal, get younger at a position. They make exceptions when all things aren’t equal — i.e., the talent of players such as Jeff Saturday, Peyton Manning, Reggie Wayne, etc. — but outside of the core players they’re not a team that’s going to have eight-, nine-year veteran position players around.

As Rhodes said, it’s business, and the Colts made a business decision that eventually he’ll accept.

The reality — and deep down Rhodes likely knows this, too — is as I’ve written before: Rhodes is a notable story in this era of the NFL. He’s never been a true franchise running back. His lone extended starting stints were in 2001 when Edgerrin James was hurt and 2006 when the Colts didn’t want to rush rookie Joseph Addai into a starting role. The NFL is a young man’s game, and running back a young man’s position within that framework, yet Rhodes has found a way to have a productive, extended career. Now, with Buffalo, he has found a way to extend it a while more.

When Rhodes gets past his hurt, here’s hoping he can remember that and be proud. And productive, too.