Redskins praise Robert Griffin III for how he's handled situation
Several members of the Washington Redskins — including head coach Jay Gruden — praised Robert Griffin III for how he’s handled a tough situation after being benched before the start of the season and replaced by Kirk Cousins.
Further complicating issues was the perceived disconnect between Gruden and the team’s one-time franchise quarterback. But Gruden went out of his way to laud Griffin’s character.
“Robert has been a pro about it,” Gruden said, via ESPN. “Put yourself in his shoes and what he’s done and accomplished as a rookie and all the things everyone was expecting from him. It’s tough to take a back seat in this position. But he’s handled it well. I told him he has a chance to play a long time; this is just part of the growth experience for a young quarterback.”
Reports indicate that Griffin has taken on a team-first mentality since his demotion, playing the role of the good soldier by celebrating with teammates during victories and working hard in practice to help them prepare, despite the fact he’s been relegated to third-string quarterback and occasionally running the scout team.
But there are whispers of some minor issues rising to the surface, as one player characterized the relationship between RG3 and Cousins as “awkward.”
But to question the tough organizational decision to sit RG3 and replace him with Cousins would be wrong. Cousins has played well this season, leading the team to a 7-7 record and a chance to win the woeful NFC East while throwing 22 touchdowns and only 11 interceptions.
Despite the fact that the Redskins picked up Griffin’s 2016 option to the tune of $16.2 million, there’s little chance he will be a member of the team next season. And with reports that there are multiple teams expressing interest in the still-young quarterback, the 25-year-old RG3 remains a player teams believe can make an impact.
The manner in which he’s conducted himself during an extremely difficult situation certainly will go a long way to demonstrate to other NFL teams that he has the maturity to handle adversity.
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