The Washington Redskins announced on Monday that they will pick up the fifth-year option on Robert Griffin III’s rookie contract. This is a decision that will keep him with the team through at least the 2016 season.
The price to pick up RGIII’s option will be a cool $16.1 million in 2016, which is quite the bounty for a quarterback that has struggled with consistency and injuries over the past two years.
Letting RGIII walk at this point in time doesn’t make much sense considering the tremendous numbers he put up in his rookie campaign. The former Heisman winner tallied 3,200 passing yards, 20 touchdowns and only five interceptions back in 2012. The Redskins are obviously banking on him returning to form in 2015.
Considering the 2016 salary is fully guaranteed, there is a considerable risk here for the Redskins, who have dealt with various injuries to their quarterback over the past two years. It’s also being reported that the team’s decision to use the fifth-year option on RGIII does not impact its plans to potentially draft another quarterback this week.
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