Robert Griffin III: Latest News, Rumors Regarding QB's Status with Redskins

The Washington Redskins benched Robert Griffin III in favor of Kirk Cousins to kick off the 2015 season. Griffin has since served as the team's third-string signal-caller.

Continue for updates.

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Redskins Haven't Received Calls About RG3

Tuesday, Nov. 3

ESPN's Josina Anderson reported that teams have not inquired about the availability of Griffin ahead of the trade deadline.

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Griffin Active for 1st Time in 2015

Sunday, Oct. 18

Brian McNally of 106.7 The Fan noted Griffin is not among the Redskins' list of inactive players for Week 6 against the New York Jets.

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Could Griffin Eventually Make a Return to Starting Lineup?

Tuesday, Sept. 29

Mike Jones of the Washington Post examined a potential path for Griffin to return under center for the Redskins:

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However, the quarterback's lingering presence has prompted league insiders to speculate that at some point, if Cousins falls flat, team brass could eventually force Gruden to go back to Griffin. They believed that it was only a matter of time before Griffin bumped his way up the depth chart to the No. 2 position, where he then would be poised to overtake a struggling Cousins.

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Cousins has struggled this season, completing 74 of 107 passes and throwing three touchdowns to four interceptions in Washington's 1-2 start.

Jones noted backup quarterback Colt McCoy has a cut on one of his feet, which kept him out of practice Monday, adding "if McCoy can't practice on Wednesday, it's safe to assume that Griffin will dress for Sunday's game against the Eagles."

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Griffin Expected to Remain with Redskins in 2015

Sunday, Sept. 27

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported Sept. 24 that Griffin will remain on the roster for the duration of the 2015 season and has been "helpful" to Cousins.

On Sept. 27, CBS Sports' Jason La Canfora expanded upon Rapoport's report by providing a statement from an anonymous source:

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The Redskins have never made a single call to try and move Griffin, who has been at the center of several controversies in his four years in Washington (though not always entirely of his own making). New general manager Scot McCloughan will not be doing so, either, sources said.

“Scot does not want to trade him,” said one source very familiar with the situation. “He really doesn't. That's not something he is even thinking about. He's still getting to learn about him and what he can do and what he's all about. This kid was the 2012 Rookie of the Year for a reason and you don't just fall into that stuff. He's not giving up hope on him.”

No team has called Washington to determine an asking price or even engage in preliminary trade talks, and with Griffin's 2016 salary of $16 million guaranteed for injury, perhaps none will. Regardless, it's far more likely Griffin is on Washington's roster this season, even with his fifth-year option. And, sources said, with Griffin now a few weeks back from his concussion absence, it's not out of the question that he takes over the No. 2 spot from Colt McCoy in the coming weeks.

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Griffin Remains Inactive

Thursday, Sept. 24

The Redskins confirmed Griffin would not take part in the Week 3 matchup against the New York Giants.

On Sept. 12, Jeff Darlington of NFL Network reported Colt McCoy was slated to be the No. 2 quarterback for the season opener, while Albert Breer of NFL.com said the plan "is to let Griffin try and earn his way back up the depth chart."

Kevin Patra of NFL.com provided more from Darlington:

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Darlington added Sunday on NFL Network's GameDay First that Griffin is likely to remain third in the pecking order moving forward.

"After further consideration the team is more likely to keep Griffin as the third quarterback because of the financial repercussions that they would face if Griffin were to enter a game and be injured," Darlington reported.

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Darlington also reported Griffin "was running with the scout-team defense as a safety" during practice recently, though he noted that it's "not unprecedented for a third-team quarterback" to do so.

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Griffin, Cousins Reportedly Don't Speak to Each Other

Monday, Sept. 21

Bleacher Report's Jason Cole reported on the relationship between the quarterbacks:

However, Griffin denied via Twitter that any such problems exist between himself and his teammates:

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Griffin Survives Final Round of Cuts 

Sunday, Sept. 6

"We feel like he's a quarterback that's young and talented that's done some good things," Gruden said, per the team's official Twitter account. "We don't feel like he's a distraction at all. ... You can never have too many QBs," Gruden added, per Jones.

The Redskins confirmed that Griffin was on the team's 53-man roster Saturday, echoing what Darlington reported earlier in the day when he said the team planned on keeping Griffin as the second-string quarterback:

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Barring an unforeseen situation this afternoon, Griffin is expected to be listed second on the depth chart behind Kirk Cousins and ahead of Colt McCoy. The decision to keep Griffin currently has the approval of general manager Scot McCloughan, head coach Jay Gruden and owner Dan Snyder, a team source said.

If the Redskins decided to cut Griffin, they would have still absorbed a $6.7 million cap hit in 2015—while also still paying him his $3.25 million in guaranteed money. Because he has no offset language in his contract, Griffin still would have earned that money from the Redskins even if he'd signed with another team after clearing waivers. ...

The Redskins ultimately believed, as of Saturday morning, that Griffin is the second-best quarterback on the roster and should be kept on the team as a result. No doubt, it is also possible the team could dangle Griffin as trade bait this season, but if a team did want to trade for him, they would be forced to commit to those same financial risks facing the Redskins regarding Griffin's 2016 salary.

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ESPN's Adam Schefter confirmed Darlington's report and noted, "Not everyone in their building is happy about it."

Griffin's time with Washington since a stellar first year as a pro has been marred by dysfunction and lackluster performance on the gridiron. Both sides could use a fresh start based on the recent unsavory results.

Even though he remains with the Redskins, it's likely going to be difficult for Griffin to focus on football until rumors of a potential departure are put to rest.

The writing seems to be on the wall that the rocky relationship between Griffin and the Redskins will come to a head after the season—unless the quarterback is cut or traded before then.

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Potential Options for RG3 Outside Washington

Friday, Sept. 4

Cole examined five likely destinations if Griffin were to be cut but also explained why the Redskins would likely keep him for the 2015 season:

An unnamed Redskins offensive starter made it known which team he thinks would best suit Griffin if the Heisman Trophy winner leaves, as relayed by Anderson on Thursday:

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Philly. I think he could be really good there. That is what he ran in college. That's the type of system that I'm sure he can imagine himself in, knowing how fast-paced it is, knowing how he can run, seeing what Nick Foles did in it, what Michael Vick did in it. I think he would definitely thrive.

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The source failed to shed light on whether Griffin's time with the Redskins is coming to an end: "I don't know. It would be weird, and I would hate to have to prepare against a guy like that. An angry Robert Griffin? I don't know if I want to see that."

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Conflicting Reports Surround Ownership's Stance on RG3

Monday, Aug. 31

ESPN.com's Dianna Russini and Schefter reported Sunday that the front office and coaching staff have seen enough from Griffin to determine he's not the long-term answer under center. 

However, the Washington Post's Jones and Mark Maske reported, "Two people with knowledge of the team's planning each said Snyder is not blocking his front office and coaching staff from trading Griffin." They added:

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One called an ESPN report that suggested that "100 percent wrong."

But that person stopped short of saying that Griffin will not be traded or released, saying that is up to Gruden.

"It's up to the coach, and everyone is on board with that," the person said.

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"People familiar with Scot McCloughan's philosophies said the Redskins general manager believes that the head coach should have the power to pick his quarterback, rather than have his starter forced upon him," Jones and Maske reported.

Snyder's meddlesome nature and willingness to make a big splash have backfired in the past, and he has consistently stood by Griffin despite the young signal-caller's struggles in recent years.

Washington sacrificed a second-round pick and two additional first-round choices to trade up to No. 2 overall and draft Griffin in 2012. It seemed to be worth the cost at first, as Griffin's electric rookie campaign resulted in an NFC East title and NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year honors.

But in the postseason that followed, Griffin tore his ACL and LCL and hasn't been the same since.

Griffin's first NFL head coach, Mike Shanahan, felt undermined by Griffin and Snyder and was essentially railroaded out of town. Gruden hasn't enjoyed a great relationship with RG3 either, and he went 4-12 last season in his first year at the helm.

Dave Zirin of the Nation placed the blame firmly at Snyder's feet, drawing on previous Redskins quarterbacks:

Premature coronation was a cursed component of Griffin's instant NFL impact, and ill-advised public statements—such as the bold comments he made earlier this month, per WJLA.com's Alex Parker—have contributed to his declining likability:

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I feel like I'm the best quarterback in the league and I have to go out and show that. ... Any athlete at any level, if they concede to someone else, they're not a top competitor, they're not trying to be the best that they can be. There's guys in this league that have done way more than me. But, I still view myself as the best because that's what I work toward every single day.

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Former safety Ryan Clark, who played with the Redskins in 2014, said on ESPN's Mike and Mike that Griffin "doesn't have meaningful locker room relationships," per Bleacher Report's Mike Freeman. Clark added that Gruden didn't "have a strong belief [in Griffin]," per Nate Davis of USA Today.

McCloughan is in his first year at his post, and the report by Russini and Schefter named him as a possible X-factor in determining Griffin's fate. Whether McCloughan has the power to do so is another matter.