Maybe not a rumor, more of a musing. Still, it’ll be naive to think that the Washington Redskins, seeing how fragile and injury Prone Robert Griffin III has proven to be, aren’t considering trading the quarterback who seemed like the face & future of the franchise not too long ago.
Griffin isn’t out for the season. His ankle injury will leave him on the sidelines for about a month, maybe more. This will mean Kirk Cousins, who has cast something of a doubt regarding Griffin’s status as the best quarterback on the team since his first chance to start for him during the 2012 season, has enough time to establish himself as the number one at the position, pushing the trade rumors and thoughts even further.
An interesting look at the situation came from the Washington Post, giving insight from a league executive on the teams in the NFL that might be interested in entering trade talks for Griffin considering their own abysmal quarterback situation.
Look around the league at who’s starting right now. Josh McCown is a starter. Chad Henne is a starter. Ryan Fitzpatrick, Brian Hoyer, Matt Cassel, Geno Smith, Jake Locker, the kid in Oakland, the situation in St. Louis. You can’t tell me Robert Griffin can’t be a starter somewhere.
Obviously, it’s a bit further down the road. The Redskins haven’t made any hint or innuendos that they’re given up on Griffin, who they got from the Rams on draft night through their No. 6 overall pick in 2012, their second-round pick in 2012, and their first-round picks in 2013 and 2014.
The Rams are in deep quarterback trouble, but they won’t trade for Griffin. Not when their own problems are caused by an often-injured quarterback. The other teams mentioned have a quarterback for the future on the squad right now. Griffin is viewed as a still talented quarterback, but no one is in awe of him anymore now that it’s quite clear he can’t run the field like he used to on most occasions.
One game doesn’t make Cousins the best quarterback in Washington, but everyone is thinking it, and are simply waiting for two or three more demonstrations to get the final seal of approval. From what we know of Griffin, he isn’t going to take being number 2 with ease, or want to stay in that situation for very long.