The Washington Redskins are working to downplay the Robert Griffin III drama as much as possible. Head coach Jay Gruden has come out and spoken in favor of his future. The ownership is still standing behind the quarterback, but the players on the field cannot avoid the media attention on them at this point. While getting asked if they trust the turnover machine of Kirk Cousins, DeSean Jackson took time to defend Griffin to the press.
Gruden announced via ESPN that Cousins would be the season starter over Griffin. The former Michigan State star has gotten a taste of the starters life before and tossed more interceptions than touchdowns. While there is little discussion about what Cousins will bring to the offense, there is much talk about the future outlook of Griffin who is now battling for the backup job with Colt McCoy. According to Jackson, he supports the future in both players, believing they both can win.
"[Griffin's] a good guy and does all the right things. It's just an unfortunate he has to be in this situation," Jackson said, via the Washington Post. "He knows this is the game we're in, this is the league we're in. It's the NFL. Nothing's for certain. I had to learn that for myself a couple years ago, going through my situation. The best advice I could tell him was keep his head high and when the opportunity presents itself - when he has another opportunity to play again, wherever it is in this league - I definitely think he'll do what he needs to do to get it done."
Jackson should be happy that Cousins is taking over. He had his best stats with the quarterback in five games last year. Jackson recorded games of over 100 yards with Cousins including a season-high performance of 157 yards and a touchdown against Seattle. Cousins is expected to throw the ball much more as Jackson along with Pierre Garcon will benefit from the change at the position.
With Griffin out, the offense will look more traditional. Cousins is not a mobile quarterback which means the tandem of Matt Jones and Alfred Morris will get a lot of work. The Redskins are liking what they see from the rookie, but Morris is fighting for a new contract and does not want to fall the same way Griffin did. According to the Washington Post, the Redskins and Morris have already had contract discussions, but a deal is not expected this year.
Cousins is also entering the last year of his contract and is getting every opportunity to prove what he deserves the new deal. If Cousins can succeed, the Redskins would likely re-sign him. That brings Griffin back into question who has a $16 million fifth-year option to his name after the Redskins opted to extend his deal. The quarterback drama in Washington will get worse before it gets better.
