NFC East Watch: Shanahan Doesn't Blame Injuries for RG3 Struggles

Robert Griffin III is entering the fourth season of his NFL career

There’s no denying that Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III has had a rough draw thus far in his NFL career where injuries are concerned.

After leading the Redskins to an NFC East championship in his rookie year, Griffin suffered a devastating knee injury in a playoff loss to the Seahawks. He returned in 2013 but wasn’t ever close to the same as he was the year before, when he won Rookie of the Year honors, and he was ultimately shut down for the final three games of the season.

Last year, Griffin suffered a dislocated ankle in Week 2, an injury kept him out for almost two months. When he returned, he struggled and was benched for Colt McCoy. He got the starting job back when McCoy went down with a neck injury and finished the season with a 2-5 record as the team's starting quarterback.

Griffin’s coach for his first two seasons in the league, Mike Shanahan said in a recent interview on the Grant and Danny Show on 106.7-FM The Fan in Washington DC that he doesn’t think injuries are to blame for RG3’s struggles of late.

I don’t think getting hurt has anything to do with it,” Shanahan said, via CSN Washington. “In college he didn’t have a route tree, didn’t have a playbook. That does take some time. ... If you take a QB like that you must run the kind of system that allows them to be successful... I really believe Robert thought he was more of a drop back quarterback. He hasn’t done things the NFL asks you to do. It does take some growing pains. You better really work on it inside and out.”

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