With Robert Griffin III officially heading to the bench, the questions have begun regarding whether or not he will be traded of released. The Washington Redskins have announced that they will be moving forward with Kirk Cousins as the starting quarterback making Griffin primed for a release or trade in 2015. With the quarterback's future unclear, teams are already being asked of their interest level in the quarterback.
New York Jets head coach Todd Bowles was already asked if he would be interested in acquiring Griffin this season. Bowles of course played the question with true professionalism simply saying, "He's on the Redskins and we have our guys right now. That's not my concern."(via Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com.)
That is all Bowles can say of the situation. Griffin is still a member of the Redskins and saying he is interested in the quarterback would create a media firestorm. Of course the Jets are looked at as a potential trade destination. They are dealing with Ryan Fitzpatrick as their starter which is offering little encouragement to fans. Geno Smith's future is far from secure as he heals from a broken jaw suffered from a locker room fight. Bryce Petty is being viewed as a project quarterback. Griffin would be an upgrade. The Jets could make a move on a trade at the mid-season deadline or they could hope the Redskins release Griffin and they could sign him for cheap.
According to head coach Jay Gruden via ESPN, the Redskins are not shutting the door on Griffin. Washington owes Griffin $3.249 million this season whether he is on the roster or not. That means a release is unlikely. However, he is on the books for $16.1 million in 2016 after Washington opted to pick up his fifth-year option. The team has some decisions to make especially if Cousins plays well. He and Colt McCoy will be entering the final years of their respective contracts.
The Jets have quarterback decisions of their own which is why Griffin's name came up in the first place. Fitzpatrick is not a long-term option and the Jets need to decide if Smith is. After passing up on Marcus Mariota or Jameis Winston in the draft along with trade deals for Sam Bradford or Nick Foles, the Jets will either need to seriously invest in Smith or look at other options for the upcoming season.