Robert Griffin III is now a member of the Cleveland Browns, but the Denver Broncos were one of the teams kicking the tires on the quarterback before he joined Hue Jackson’s new team.
The reason Denver didn’t jump at the chance to land one of the most exciting playmakers in the league, according to Mike Klis of 9News in Denver, is that John Elway was wary of RG3’s character.
“[A]fter making a few phone calls, Elway was concerned about Griffin’s character,” Klis writes. “Elway never did express interest in the former Washington quarterback who was the NFL’s Rookie of the Year in 2012 but had several fallouts with Coach Mike Shanahan, offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan and teammates.”
While it’s true Griffin III stayed under the radar last year after being relegated to third string, he did provoke many strong reactions by media and teammates during his tenure with the Washington Redskins. In fact, when he was benched some teammates reportedly were more than happy about the development.
That Griffin III didn’t endear himself to his teammates is certainly cause for concern.
Quarterbacks must not only lead on the field, but they must also lead in the huddle and the locker room to achieve long-term success. While nobody knows for sure how things will play out in the future, especially given RG3’s limited time to lead in Washington, his track record isn’t spotless in this regard.
Elway knows what it takes to lead a franchise. He did it himself for 16 years and watched Peyton Manning do it the past four years in Denver. Obviously he didn’t see the same leadership qualities in Griffin III, and it’s going to be interesting to watch the young quarterback in the coming years to see if he can develop them.
If RG3 can learn to relate better to his teammates and can stay healthy, then he has a bright future ahead of him. He clearly possesses the talent to succeed. Now it’s time to put the entire package together.