Robert Griffin IIIhas been benched for Colt McCoy. That's a sentence that would have been hard to fathom in 2012 when RGIII was lighting the league on fire. Now it feels the next logical step in Griffin's depressing devolution with the Redskins.
This is the second time in as many seasons a coach has taken Griffin out of the lineup, although former Redskins coach Mike Shanahan claimed last year it was for Griffin's safety. NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport indicated Tuesday night that the decision to start McCoy was not necessarily permanent, but organizations don't lightly decide to bench a No. 2 overall draft pick.
Griffin's erratic play is the biggest factor here. He's been tough to watch the last two weeks, and doesn't look comfortable in head coach Jay Gruden's offense. Gruden has made it clear he doesn't have a ton of patience to let Griffin learn on the job. There is also the question of whether Griffin's teammates are confident in him. There have been indications to the contrary.
So where does Griffin go from here?
Rest of 2014: Gruden is trying to win games, and believes McCoy gives the team a better chance to win in the short term. It just won't be particularly easy with a trip to Indianapolis on Sunday before a matchup with the dangerous St. Louis defense. If McCoy plays well, it's hard to imagine we'll see Griffin again this season. This is a tough decision to come back from.
Trade potential: There are a lot of variables at play this offseason. The first is Gruden's status as the team's head coach. If he's back in Washington, it's easy to imagine the Redskins dangling Griffin for a potential deal. The Redskins gave up three first-round draft picks and a second-round pick for the right to take Griffin in 2012. Getting even one second-round pick for him now sounds like an uphill battle.
Still, Griffin is due "only" $3.267 million in 2015. That is a low number, and it only takes one team out there that wants to give Griffin a test drive. Heck, Kevin Kolb once fetched a second-round pick, a Pro Bowl cornerback and a $30 million contract. Griffin is still a young quarterback that has been productive, although Vince Young is a reminder that a Rookie of the Year trophy only gets you so much. RGIII's value is at a low, and working out a renegotiated contract with a new team would be tricky.
Griffin's 2016 player option: The Redskins will have to decide by May 3 of next year whether to pick up the fifth-year option on Griffin's rookie deal. That one-year option would likely be over $17-$18 million. The contract is guaranteed only for injury, meaning the Redskins could decide to pick up the option in May and still release Griffin at no extra cost before the 2016 season. Considering Griffin has struggled to stay healthy and can't even keep a starting job, it's hard to imagine the Redskins taking any extra risk.
Griffin has the arm strength contract of a top-shelf prospect, but the Redskins are no longer treating him like one.
The latest Around The NFL Podcast previews the Week 13 games and reacts to the news of RGIII's benching in D.C. Find more Around The NFL content on NFL NOW.
