Regardless of how things may have played out behind closed doors, Jay Gruden and Robert Griffin III have had nothing but good things to say about one another in the public eye.
Griffin could have been a big baby about how he was demoted down to third string. He could have had a huge ego about it, based solely on the fact that he put together one of the most successful rookie seasons of any quarterback in NFL history.
But he remained quiet in the public eye throughout the entire 2015 NFL season. Gruden believes the quarterback “grew a lot” throughout the campaign, despite walking the sidelines in street clothes most of the year.
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Washington could have certainly handled the way RG3 was benched in the preseason much better. The franchise let him get beat up behind a shaky offensive line before finally pulling the plug on what most knew was a failed project from the get-go.
Gruden never did see Griffin as a good fit for his system. All along, Kirk Cousins fit his system much better. And this was proved to be true during the final 10 games of the season when the quarterback threw for 23 touchdowns with just three interceptions, leading the team to a 7-3 record and reaching the playoffs.
Ian Rapoport of NFL Media has reported that Washington will release RG3. This, by no means, indicates that Griffin is done, though.
At the age of 25, and after having spent an entire year off the field, he’s raring to go and should have no health restrictions when he inevitably gets picked up by another team that wants to develop his promising skill set.
And perhaps Gruden’s statement about Griffin growing this past year will prove true. If so, nobody should be surprised if RG3 busts out of his cocoon with brighter wings than ever to carry him to a long and prosperous NFL career.