It is hard to believe but two years ago Adrian Peterson was recovering from a torn ACL. The Minnesota Vikings running back returned in 2012 from the injury to lead the league in rushing for the entire season. The quick return is not normal for the average person, but in sports it is now the expectation for athletes. Robert Griffin III underwent the same injury and while his return was very quick, he is not looking like the improved player Peterson came back as.
Griffin is attempting to make the same type of comeback Peterson did last year, but so far it is not going as planned. Despite his early season struggles, Griffin says that Peterson did not set unrealistic expectations for players returning from knee injuries.
"I don't think so at all. Adrian is a phenomenal athlete, and in Minnesota they've done a great job with him," Griffin said, via ESPN.com. "Adrian, he's a running back, it's a different position. I don't feel any pressure from the success that he had. I can't even remember how his season started off last year, either. All that stuff gets forgotten at the end of the day."
Griffin knows he has struggled so far through two games. The Washington quarterback did not play during training camp and preseason so it is fair to see he is showing some rust. So far, Griffin is 56-of-89 in passing for 649 yards and five touchdowns, but with three interceptions. He has only rushed for 25 yards on nine carries. The result is the Redskins starting 0-2, something fans did not expect. Despite Griffin's average perforamance, Kirk Cousins will not be starting in his place.
Wide receiver Pierre Garcon is concerned that Griffin's knee is still bothering and that his bulky knee brace is hindering his playing ability. Garcon notes that Griffin is forced to use his arm more than his legs which is not the type of quarterback he typically is. Griffin disputes that idea saying his knee is fine and the brace will remain on the rest of the season.
"There's no knee issue," Griffin said. "I love my receiver. If he wants to race, then we can race."
Griffin will likely get compared to Peterson for the remainder of the year considering the season the running back had last year. Earlier in the offseason, the Vikings star said he was really rooting for Griffin to come back strong and improve off his impressive rookie year.
"Judging by how he approached his rookie year, if he continues taking that same strong mindset and applies it to his rehab, he'll do better this season than last," Peterson said, via USA Today. "I'm pulling for him."
