The Washington Redskins have benched RG3 and now the career of Robert Griffin III could be at a crossroads, as he has a contract option coming up and if he ends up leaving in a trade or as a free agent, teams like the Oakland Raiders, Houston Texans, Arizona Cardinals, NY Jets, Philadelphia Eagles or Buffalo Bills could be interested in adding him as their starting quarterback.
The Redskins have decided to bench Robert Griffin for Colt McCoy according to ESPN.com and this comes after the third straight loss for the team on Sunday. Grantland.com and other websites have started to wonder what will happen in the future with Griffin and many see a split coming. Grantland lists situations that could fit, including the Oakland Raiders, Houston Texans, Arizona Cardinals, NY Jets, Philadelphia Eagles or Buffalo Bills for RG3.
The Redskins gave up a record haul for Griffin in the trade for the number two pick a couple years ago and now that looks terrible. Andrew Luck and Russell Wilson have been winners since being drafted and now Griffin looks like he ha regressed. Things simply have not been working out and while Gruden wants to give Griffin time to work things out, he simply can't put Griffin out on the field the way he is playing. Jason Reid writes that the team had no choice, as Griffin has been terrible in recent weeks, including in a loss to the Buccaneers.
This move was thought to be a possibility by many after the way Griffin has played over the past few weeks, but many wondered if Jay Gruden actually had the power to do it. Dan Snyder has made no secret of his love for RG3 and this move could be perceived as Gruden saying Griffin's chance to be the starter is over. ESPN.com writes that the team may now think that Griffin is more of a project quarterback after his injuries, as his explosiveness and running has turned him into more of a pocket passer, something he has not excelled at.
The team has major decisions to make, as he has a contract option that needs to be picked up or declined and it could cost up to $16 million. The Washington Post laid out some potential options, including a trade, an outright release or a smaller extension that has incentives in it to give the team some flexibility moving forward. Two years ago many could not see this as a possibility, as Griffin led his team to the playoffs and won rookie of the year after an electric season. But now it looks like it's all falling apart.
The Redskins have been a dysfunctional organization for many years and this is another product of that. Griffin has a dive attitude and often takes a me against the world approach that has turned off many in the locker room. ESPN.com reporter Britt McHenry detailed all this weeks ago and now it's playing out in public. Some have reported that Gruden felt he had to make a move, as many players in the locker room have been hoping that the team will make a change.