The early signs regarding the health of Robert Griffin III's right knee were not good. The reports are only getting worse.
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An MRI on the Washington Redskins' rookie quarterback revealed he has partial tears to the anterior cruciate and lateral collateral ligaments in his right knee, team sources told NFL.com's Jeff Darlington on Monday. However, it is not known if the damage seen in the results is old or new, the sources said.
Mark Maske and Mike Jones of The Washington Post first reported the MRI results.
Griffin left Sunday's 24-14 NFC wild-card loss to the Seattle Seahawks in the fourth quarter because of the knee injury.
Redskins coach Mike Shanahansaid at his Monday news conference that Griffin's MRI was "open to interpretation" so the team is sending him to Dr. James Andrews in Florida. Redskins owner Dan Snyder reportedly will accompany Griffin to Florida, which is not a great sign. The Washington Post report supported the notion that more interpretation is necessary, but things clearly aren't looking good.
"One person with knowledge of the situation said Griffin might have to undergo exploratory surgery to determine the extent of the damage and whether the injuries are new," the report stated. "Another said Griffin hopes to avoid full-blown reconstructive surgery if the tears are partial, even if they are new injuries."
Griffin's test results remain open for interpretation, and Andrews should provide a final answer Tuesday. It's too early to jump to conclusions, but Monday's news on balance looks discouraging for Griffin's long-term health.
Follow Gregg Rosenthal on Twitter @greggrosenthal.
