He was the hope and the future of the franchise, the toast of the city, just three years ago. The Redskins had themselves a rookie quarterback who would return them to glory. And he did actually get them into the playoffs in his rookie season.
But then things started to go bad, the way they do with the Redskins. He was injured, but that was only part of the story.
Robert Griffin III, the quarterback, became the friend and the project of Daniel Snyder, owner of the team. Inevitably, relations between Griffin and his coach, Mike Shanahan were strained. The playoff season deteriorated into a last place, three-win finish, last in the division, with Griffin sitting on the bench and Shanahan out of a job.
New coach, new season, more woes. And where in, say, Indianapolis or Pittsburgh or Bill Belichick land, team tensions and antagonisms are kept in house, in Washington, where everyone talks, the rumors and the insider gossip about the Redskins and their quarterback woes were traded as points of status. The Redskins air their dirty laundry and, in fact, seem to get it dirty just so they’ll have some they can air.
For the last several days, the rumors have swirled. Griffin to be benched in favor of Kirk Cousins. Griffin to be traded. Released outright. Coach to be fired.
Things reached a sort of comic low point when Griffin appeared to support an Instagram petition backing the “impeachment of Dan Snyder.” Only in Washington could people think it possible to “impeach” the owner of a sports franchise. Still, the petition was grimly serious, asserting that
Griffin quickly stepped in and said that he didn’t do it. It was the work of an intern. Seriously.
In his statement, Griffin declared that
