Ceci Ferrara
March 8, 2016
Sports Insider
Sports Writer
Though it technically had been obvious for some time, the Redskins made it official on Monday when they released Robert Griffin III. The RG3 era is over in Washington, D.C.
When the Washington Redskins traded away four draft picks–including their first round picks for the next three years–to the Rams back in 2012, it was to ensure the future of their franchise. They wanted Robert Griffin III, the 2011 Heisman Trophy winner, as their quarterback. And they were willing to risk it all to get him.
Four years later, Griffin is gone, and the Redskins are left with Kirk Cousins, whom Washington selected in the fourth round that same year. After Cousins led the Redskins to the playoffs for the first time since Griffin’s rookie year, he was hoping for a big payday. But negotiations with Washington fell through, and though Cousins was franchise tagged by the team, it’s unclear if he will be the team’s long-term leader.
Griffin’s future is also up in the air. Many teams seem to be interested in him, though no one has sought him out with the fervor that Washington did a few years ago. The change is drastic. After his first year in the NFL, Griffin won the offensive rookie of the year award and seemingly energized a fan base that had been disenfranchised by its owner and losing ways.
After a knee injury in the Wild Card game against the Seahawks in 2012, things never seemed the same for RG3. The media, who had adored him during his first season, become annoyed and confused with his social media posts and constant interviews. When he made a documentary about his surgery and recovery, he was slammed. He wasn’t humble enough. He wasn’t dedicated enough. He wasn’t good enough.
Unfortunately for Griffin, those critiques never quieted. When he had an awful and injury plagued season in 2014, and did not improve under new head coach Jay Gruden, many felt the quarterback was done. Not just in Washington, but in general. But Griffin didn’t give up. He was committed to another season, even if his coach, teammates, or fans didn’t believe in him. He was working on another, less heralded comeback, in the 2015 season. Last summer, Coach Gruden said Griffin would be his starter.
Instead, when a concussion sidelined Griffin during an August preseason game against the Lions, the Redskins made the decision to bench him. First for the injury—and then indefinitely. There was speculation that Griffin might play safety or special teams, but he didn’t play a single snap all season.
Long before the Redskins lost to Green Bay in the Divisional Round of the playoffs, Griffin’s days in D.C. were done. It’s unclear how or why it all fell apart so spectacularly. Perhaps it was because the Redskins didn’t surround Griffin with the talent that he needed to succeed, because they thought, or hoped, a superstar quarterback could be enough. Or perhaps it was because the Redskins coaches never believed in or supported Griffin the way a starting quarterback in the NFL deserves to be treated. Or perhaps–as many in the area and even across the league believed–Griffin just wasn’t good enough.
What is clear is that the break is a fresh start for both parties. The Redskins can move on from the quarterback drama and Griffin can move on with his career. After he sat on the sidelines all year in 2015, cheering on his teammates and not speaking out against his team, there is no doubt he is “humbled” and ready for another chance.
After news of the release broke, Griffin posted a heartfelt message to fans on social media. Underneath a photo of himself in his team uniform, surrounded by cheering fans, he simply wrote “It was a blessing guys. I just want to say thank you.”
Whether you liked Griffin as Washington’s quarterback or not, it’s hard not to wish him the very best.
