If you went around and asked football fans today about RGIII, you’d probably be hard pressed to find someone who still thinks he’s still the future. Washington gave up a fortune to move up and draft him in 2012, and initially it all seemed worthwhile as RGIII led the long suffering team to the playoffs, sacrificing his body along the way. For a few moments there, it finally looked like the suffering might be over for DC Football.
Nothing has gone right since. RGIII’s use in 2012 was already questionable, rushing him back from injury only to result in more injury. The Skins again rushed him back for week 1, after he missed all of camp and preseason, and the results were predictable. Clashes over RGIII were implicated in why Mike Shanahan was removed from the organization. Last year, Jay Gruden was brought in as the new coach and he ran a system unfriendly to RGIII. But Griffen got hurt immediately, again, and the issue didn’t even matter. Late season Gruden removed a lot of the special privileges RGIII enjoyed and it appeared he was going against the wishes of ownership.
Which brings us to now. RGIII has never come close to replicating anything we saw in his outstanding rookie season, outside arguably his ego. His body is a broken shell of what it was. He was promptly concussed last week and initially cleared to play, but now might even miss week 1 in favor of Kirk Cousins. Nothing has gone right for RGIII, and the noose grows ever tighter.
And now, more bad news. A report from ESPN states that most of the coaching staff and front office are looking to move on from RGIII, but something is getting in the way. That something? Ownership. We all know what that means. This guy:
Snyder has long been reported to treat RGIII like a king around the offices, to the resentment of everyone else. It’s one of the reasons Gruden’s removal of privileges last season was such a hot topic. Almost every coach that has come in under Snyder has left under harsh bridge burning hostile environments. (Remember Jim Zorn’s offense playcalling duties being stripped from him? Then Zorn calling the worst special teams play ever, twice, just to give Snyder the finger?) While everyone can pretty much see that RGIII is done in Washington, Snyder apparently cannot. If RGIII does have a future in the NFL it’s not in Washington, but Snyder doesn’t appear to understand sunk cost. RGIII doesn’t fit the current coaching scheme. There are rumors he isn’t getting along with teammates. There is no reason to keep him on the roster at this point outside the lack of significant talent at the QB spot. This is pretty much RGIII’s final season in Washington and the way everything has gone down is going to make one hell of a 30-for-30 someday.
