Will he or won't he? That is the question a number of Washington Redskins fans are asking themselves in regards to the status of Robert Griffin III. The quarterback made his first appearance on the practice field Wednesday, leading the first-team offense in individual drills. Head coach Jay Gruden made note that if Griffin felt healthy, then he would start, but now reports are not as confident about his status for Monday Night Football.
The Redskins have a very big game approaching. Currently sitting at the bottom of the NFC East, Washington faces off against the leading Dallas Cowboys in hopes of starting to gain some momentum for the second-half of the season. That could be difficult considering their quarterback play recently. However, getting Griffin back under center might be what the Redskins need, but that appears to not be happening in Week 8.
According to NBC's Dianna Marie Russini, there is "no chance" Griffin plays against the Dallas Cowboys on Monday despite his appearance at practice. Gruden told the media that in order for Griffin to play, he must be cleared by team doctors after he dislocated his ankle. Even though the quarterback is practicing, that does not mean doctors have cleared him for contact.
"It's up to the trainers and doctors right now, they gotta clear him, No. 1, like I said," Gruden said, via NFL.com. "No. 2, he's got to feel good. But it's gonna be a process of how he feels tomorrow, how he feels the next day, and how he's throwing and how he's playing the position. It's just a matter of watching him. It's not so much the watching him run -- I think he feels okay running right now, it's just a matter of how he feels tomorrow. There are certain movements -- rolling out to the right, rolling out to the left, cutting back -- we just got to see how he handles that."
Gruden continues to stress that Colt McCoy will be the starting quarterback until further notice. The former third-stringer filled in for the struggling Kirk Cousins and now the move has been made permanent at least for the day. Cousins will certainly not be starting, but if Griffin is healthy, the Redskins will put him on the field over McCoy.
Meanwhile the Redskins need the remaining members of the team to step up and contribute as they to move forward with just two wins on the season. DeSean Jackson and Alfred Morris have been the most consistent threats, but the tight end production of Jordan Reed and Niles Paul must improve along with Pierre Garcon's ability to get open.
