Don't call it a holdout.
The Washington Redskins signed rookie quarterback Robert Griffin III early Wednesday morning, according to NFL Network's Albert Breer and Michael Lombardi. Breer cited a source with knowledge of the situation in reporting that Griffin, the No. 2 overall pick in this year's NFL draft, will receive $21,119,098 fully guaranteed over four years. The contract has a team option for a fifth year.
The Redskinslater confirmed via Twitter that RG3 had signed.
Griffin missed the first two days of Washington's kinda-sorta rookie training camp, which began Monday. The Redskins got their rookies together well before the rest of the NFL for extra workouts and classroom sessions, but the true training camp experience doesn't start until next week. And now coach Mike Shanahan has one less thing to worry about, with Griffin signed.
RG3's deal should pave the way for more top contracts to be signed. While rookies have signed earlier than ever before, the top of the draft has been stuck for a while on certain contractual language because of the new collective bargaining agreement. Fellow teams and agents will look at Griffin's contract -- which doesn't include offsetting language -- closely and use it as a template to get their deals done.
The early deal isn't a surprise, but it is welcome news to the rest of the NFL. If Griffin can sign so early, it's hard to imagine there will be any lengthy rookie holdouts. If any. The kid keeps making all the right moves.
