This nearly became something of the sort detailing the firing of Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator, Rob Ryan. Then, a sentence about another Rob appeared which was intimidating to even read. “Robert Griffin III may have to wait a full season to take the field again.” Shit.
It’s no secret the news about RG3’s knee would be anything but positive. And depending which outlet one chooses to invest confidence in, the reports vary. Yet, reading the quoted sentence was surreal. Dr. James Andrews examined D.C.’s prodigal son Tuesday offering the analysis. Here are the facts surrounding the surgery which will legitimately have the entire DMV region holding its own candlelight vigil.
1. Andrews will perform the operation on Wednesday to repair Griffin’s LCL. His ACL, too, if damage is found.
2. Michael Jablonski, former team physician for the Orlando Magic, indicated that the injury will take “six to eight months to heal and ‘a year to forget about it,’ meaning a year before the patient doesn’t feel any after-effects.” And his Olympic-level speed? Consider that in serious jeopardy, too.
Not to get all WebMD, but the LCL controls side-to-side motioning; an aspect critical to Griffin’s almost (at times this season) unstoppable plan of attack. All in all, horrific news for not only the quarterback and franchise, but fans of the team as well who experienced a rebirth in relevance this year after Griffin and Alfred Morris led Washington on a seven game winning streak ultimately capturing a division title.
For those looking to Adrian Peterson – who suffered a similar injury – Jablonski says AP’s recovery is “extremely rare” and future procedures aren’t out of the question. A more appropriate comparison at this stage may be Derrick Rose. A transcendent young superstar who became one of the faces of the NBA. Both battled injuries through their respective seasons, only to suffer the crucial injury when neither probably should have been in the game. Rose’s Bulls being up by 20 with less than two minutes left in Game 1 vs. the 76ers. And Griffin, obviously a shell of his former self, playing on a knee which bound to give out at any time and a field conducive to tearing ligaments to shreds (AP, RG3 and Chris Clemons have all suffered season enders at FedEx the past two seasons).
So that leaves us with the sobering reality one of the NFL’s brightest young stars stands at a crossroads only weeks after being viewed as the Teflon Don of football. As a Cowboys fan, it’s awesome to see the Redskins suffer. Not like this though. A losing streak, crucial fumble, laughable free agent signing, anything. An injury? Never in a million years.
The waiting game awaits us now, however. Does RG3 return in the mold of Adrian Peterson and embark upon a MVP-caliber season defying every logical medical reasoning? Or is he more of a Grant Hill, a rare, once-in-a-generation talent who was living up to the hype, but one who played on an injury for far too long.
Either way, the 30 for 30 in 2020 should be raw as hell.
Previously: Your NFL Recap: Week 17
Related — Robert Griffin III, Playing Through Injury And The Audacity Of Hope [TSFJ]