Robert Griffin III Is Not A Franchise QB If He Accepts Demotion
By Erik Lambert
Jul 27, 2013; Richmond, VA, USA; Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III (10) and Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins (12) stand on the field during 2013 NFL training camp at the Bon Secours Washington Redskins Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Word out of Washington is that Robert Griffin III isn’t guaranteed a starting job once he returns healthy. In fact, the team believes he would take a demotion.
Kirk Cousins play putting pressure on Washington Redskins coaches
On the one hand it’s easy to feel for head coach Jay Gruden and his staff of the Washington Redskins. They didn’t start a quarterback controversy, they merely inherited one that has been building for some time. However, after RGIII dislocated his ankle it was made even harder when Kirk Cousins turned in back-to-back outstanding performances against Jacksonville and Philadelphia. It’s clear he fits what the Redskins want to do on offense and despite what the team has invested in Griffin, any coach would be reluctant to go away from that, and rightfully so. The issue at hand is not whether Cousins deserves to keep playing once Griffin is healthy. It’s whether Griffin is okay with it.
Word out of Washington is that if the scenario plays out as such and Cousins ends up the starter for the rest of the season, that RGIII would willingly accept being relegated to a backup role. That might be okay in the interest of team unity and not becoming a locker room cancer, but it also could say something about Griffin’s competitive spirit. A true franchise quarterback should never be willing to relinquish the job he feels belongs to him. For all his talent, if RGIII is so ready to surrender the pedestal to Kirk Cousins due to his injury setbacks, then he may not have that drive and fire the top quarterbacks need to have.
Being a team player is always important, but so is being resilient. Robert Griffin III needs to show the Washington Redskins and the NFL that he isn’t going down without a fight. Quietly accepting a demotion to backup is the exact opposite of that.