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Report: Redskins have discussed trading Robert Griffin III

By Cody Williams

Aug 13, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III (10) in a preseason NFL football game against the Cleveland Browns at FirstEnergy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 13, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III (10) in a preseason NFL football game against the Cleveland Browns at FirstEnergy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports /
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There are reportedly many people in house with the Washington Redskins that want to end the RG3 era

Things have been falling off of a cliff for Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III. First, word came out that he would not be the starter in Washington’s third NFL preseason game. Then it came to light that he would also not be the starter in week one of the regular season. Next came the reports that he hadn’t actually passed concussion protocol. Now it’s reached rock bottom for the former second-overall pick.

On Sunday afternoon, ESPN’s Dianni Russini and Adam Schefter reported that higher ups in the Redskins organization are ready to move on from RG3 entirely. Members of the front office have engaged in trade conversations around the league regarding Griffin, but haven’t yet found any takers.

The reason that the Redskins haven’t pulled the trigger on anything regarding RG3’s place on the roster is, as reported by ESPN, that the team officials who want Griffin out of Washington are being met with resistance by ownership. Despite the support for moving on from Griffin, the ultimate deciding vote coming from ownership remains, at the very least, undecided.

There’s no need to rehash the reasons why the Redskins would want to climb out of the black hole that has been the past couple of years in the RG3 era. Injuries, ineffectiveness, and most importantly a lack of team success have led Griffin to this point in his career.

However, this current injury with the concussion is particularly problematic, not for the quarterback himself, but instead for the Redskins in terms of getting him off of the roster. Per league rules, an NFL team cannot cut an injured player. Subsequently, they couldn’t cut him as they take their roster from 90 to 53 players in the coming week. However, if they wind up having to play him, he will be guaranteed the $16.1 million owed to him for next season.

Griffin’s salary for next season also becomes an issue in terms of trying to trade the quarterback. While there are certainly a number of teams around the NFL that would be willing to take a chance on RG3 getting a fresh start, there aren’t likely many—if any—that would be willing to take that risk to the tune of $16.1 million.

As we’ve grown accustomed to seeing in recent years, the Redskins are in a bind with limited options of how to climb out of said bind. RG3 is at the center of that and how whether or not and how they choose to remedy the issues he causes will be fascinating to watch. Even if he were to ultimately be on the roster, though, he’s not going to be the starter in Washington. And given that, it’s safe to say that the RG3 era is officially over.

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