The Washington Redskins have been so committed to Robert Griffin III since selling the farm to acquire him in the draft that they even fired a coach because of it. However, that dedication to the quarterback appears to be wavering as the relationship between Griffin and head coach Jay Gruden gets rocky. Will the status of Gruden play a factor into the future of Griffin with the Redskins?
According NBC Washington, Gruden has been informed that he will return as head coach of the Washington Redskins in 2015. Now, the speculation begins as to whether or not Griffin is his quarterback. The Washington Post had reported earlier in the season that Gruden did not prefer Griffin for the offensive system he intends to run, but the front office informed the coach that the quarterback position would not change. Now a season of struggles has everyone thinking otherwise. As trade rumors rise, Griffin is trying to stay out of the spotlight, signing off social media.
"It just felt like, for me, anything I was saying, whether it was positive or negative, whether it was a positive retweet or anything, was getting twisted and turned against me and against this team," Griffin said, via ESPN.com. "I feel I can be free up here and talk to you guys, but sometimes things get twisted and turned and it creates a distraction for the team. I didn't want that to happen."
Gruden has not been thrilled over some of things his quarterback has said to the media. He criticized the quarterback earlier in the season after it appeared Griffin was questioning how hard his teammates were working on the field. That only fueled speculation that the head coach and quarterback were not seeing eye to eye and one will be departing in the offseason.
"Well, I think it's fairly decent," Gruden said, via the Washington Post. "I mean, I'm the coach, he's a player. We demand a lot, I demand a lot out of our quarterbacks. Obviously he's a little frustrated for me taking him out of the starting lineup, but hopefully there's a mutual respect there that he's gotta understand that I have his best interests at heart and I'm just trying to get him to be a better quarterback."
With Gruden set to return, the Redskins will attempt to trade Griffin, but the market might not be as strong as they would like. The quarterback is guaranteed $3.27 million next season. The Redskins will have to decide very quickly whether or not to pick up his option, knowing that he will be owed a lot more money if they do. According to the Washington Post, it appears Griffin and Gruden could be stuck together for at least another season before the quarterback is simply released. Washington could sign someone like Brian Hoyer or Mark Sanchez to hold the team down for another year while they draft someone else to try and be the franchise star.
