Next time you want to rip Jerry Jones or Tony Romo – for anything really – take a moment to consider the plight of Robert Griffin III. Don’t look now, but he’s plunged from the Heisman and the NFL playoffs to the depths of blaming interns and being benched behind a guy who went 1-7 as a starter last year.
Yeah. Ain’t it glorious?
We all remember being nauseous back in 2012. After winning the Heisman Trophy at Baylor, RG3 went to Washington and was on the verge of revolutionizing the quarterback position in the NFL. He immediately began flummoxing defenses with his speed, agility and shocking arm strength.
On Nov. 23, 2012 he threw four touchdown passes as the Redskins smoked the Cowboys on Thanksgiving. I remember thinking, “Great, and this kid is just a rookie.” The Redskins beat the Cowboys in an NFC East Championship Game to close the season 10-6 and make the playoffs, as the rejuvenated D.C. faithful serenaded their savior with chants of “R-G-Three!”
But something happened on the way to Canton. RG3 learned about the dangers of running in the NFL. His body broke down. Then his character. And now, his value?
He injured his knee on a scramble in late December 2012. He came back for the Cowboys game and the playoff loss to Seattle, but he wasn’t the same. He may never be the same. The silky-smooth elusiveness. The sprinter’s speed. The full-field danger. All gone, thanks to a damaged wheel.
More injuries last year, when he was replaced by Kirk Cousins in a dreadful 3-13 season. And now? There are stories that his teammates have soured on Griffin. This week he blamed his Instagram’s account liking a negative post about owner Dan Synder on an intern. And coach Jay Gruden this week announced that Cousins is the Redskins’ starting quarterback, and that Griffin – the guy Washington traded three first-round and a second-round pick to draft – might wind up No. 3 on the depth chart behind even Colt McCoy.
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Yeah, yikes.
Jones makes mistakes. Romo throws interceptions. But, geez, look at the RG3 saga in D.C. No draft picks. Mike Shanahan long gone. And RG3 benched, and maybe traded. The Redskins have had 16 starting quarterbacks in the last 16 years.
Indeed, Hail to the Cowboys.
A native Texan who was born in Duncanville and graduated from UT-Arlington, Richie Whitt has been a mainstay in the Metroplex media since 1986. He’s held prominent roles on all media platforms including newspaper (Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Dallas Observer), radio (105.3 The Fan) and TV (co-host on TXA 21 and numerous guest appearances, including NBC 5). He lives in McKinney with his wife, Sybil, and two very spoiled dogs.
