It's now a near certainty that we won't see Robert Griffin III on the field this preseason.
The second-year quarterback confirmed Wednesday that the Washington Redskins plan to sit him for the entirety of the preseason as he continues his recovery from reconstructive knee surgery.
"Unless it's a necessity," Griffin said, "then I don't think I'll play in the preseason unless coach says so."
Griffin said "patience is the key" twice in his opening comments to reporters. He passed his conditioning test Wednesday, adding it was a "good moment" to be back on the field with teammates. He won't participate in full team drills initially, though he'll join teammates in some activities.
Griffin said he has been an overachiever his whole life but added that he's on board with the Redskins' conservative approach to his recovery.
"I think we're all on the same page now," Griffin said. "We all make mistakes -- last season -- we all understand that, we've all talked about it, and it's time to move on. Moving forward and hopefully moving up to the Super Bowl."
As expected, the Redskins have targeted a Week 1 return for Griffin, whom they believe can effectively prepare for the season without the risk that comes with live game action during the preseason.
After what happened in January, this level of added precaution makes plenty of sense.
Follow Dan Hanzus on Twitter @DanHanzus.
