Former Washington Redskins quarterback Mark Brunell supported Robert Griffin III in the past, but the ESPN NFL analyst’s opinion has taken a turn in the opposite direction.
Appearing on ESPN on Monday, Brunell, who played for three seasons in Washington, down-talked RGIII. According to Scott Allen of The Washington Post, Brunell responded to a question asking if he thought Griffin will succeed in the league and said:
“I do not. From what I’ve seen the last couple of years — listen, he burst onto the scene and that was impressive — but like I said, he has gone backwards. It’s not just his decision-making, it’s his fundamentals. He’s taking too many hits, he’s quick to get out of the pocket. Last year was difficult to watch. Does he have the skill set? Yes, but we haven’t seen it in some time.”
Brunell is jumping aboard the bandwagon of other professionals who have lost faith in Griffin.
As a rookie in 2012, RGIII helped the team accomplish nine wins and a playoff appearance. Griffin totaled 3,200 passing yards, 20 touchdowns and only five interceptions that year.
Since then, however, he’s been burdened with injuries, and his production declined severely. RGIII posted a 5-15 record from 2013-2014.
Nevertheless, Griffin still appears to have the support of his current coach Jay Gruden and Washington management. The team exercised his fifth-year option for 2016, which at least represents a show of faith on their side.
The reality is that RGIII must improve if he wants a long-term career as a starting quarterback in the NFL. For his sake, let’s hope he can prove all the naysayers wrong, so we can finally focus on a different storyline in Washington.
Photo: USA Today Sports