The Washington Redskins are making a change at the quarterback position once again. Robert Griffin III will not play Sunday not because he is injured, but because he is being benched for poor play. The Redskins essentially sold the farm to get Griffin as their franchise quarterback, but in his third season, the former first-round draft pick has yet to look like the real deal. As a result, Colt McCoy will start in Week 13 and Griffin could be out of Washington.
According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Redskins will be starting McCoy against the Indianapolis Colts in hopes of sparking the team in some way. The Redskins have three wins on the season and McCoy gets credit for two of them while Griffin was injured. However, Griffin is coming off back-to-back disappointing games and head coach Jay Gruden is being forced to make a change. The coach hinted at the idea earlier in the week.
"Well, we want to beat Indianapolis," Gruden said, via The Washington Post . "We want to win every game. And I have to put the people in there who (are) gonna help us win those games. And we're gonna seriously go down and look at this film, look at last week's film, look at Minnesota's film, look at Houston's film, and try to put a plan together that will help him succeed. Or we'll have to find out if somebody else is there that can help us beat Indianapolis instead."
This opens the door for trade rumors. While highly unlikely, Griffin may or may not be a part of the long-term plan for the Redskins. The team gave up more than enough to get the quarterback, so it seems unlikely that they would trade him after three seasons, but the idea cannot be ignored simply because of how the Griffin has looked over the past two years. Mechanically, he has regressed and he simply lacks the explosiveness he displayed in his rookie season. With several teams looking for a quarterback change in 2015, will Griffin be a priority?
The Oakland Raiders are the immediate first option. The team drafted Derek Carr last year, but only has one win on the season. While Carr might be the quarterback of the future, he clearly needs time to develop. The Raiders need to decide if Carr is their top guy or not. If he is, they will avoid Griffin and draft players that can help Carr succeed. If not, Griffin would be a solid option to bring in especially as the team looks poised to be hiring a new general manager and head coach.
The Houston Texans will be in search of a quarterback. Ryan Fitzpatrick is not the option. Ryan Mallett has an expiring deal. No one has seen Tom Savage. The Philadelphia Eagles could be favorites. Nick Foles might not be the long-term guy and head coach Chip Kelly would love to have a mobile quarterback on his hands. He did attempt to recruit Griffin in high school. Other options include the St. Louis Rams, Buffalo Bills and potentially the Tennessee Titans.
According to Schefter, Griffin looks to be a part of the Redskins franchise for years to come. Right now, he is not the quarterback for short-term success. That goes to McCoy who will also be looking for a team come the offseason.