Though coach Jay Gruden said Monday he had no plans to switch quarterbacks, multiple reports surfaced last Tuesday night that the Washington Redskins benching RG3 for Sunday’s game against the Indianapolis Colts was imminent.
According to ESPN NFL reporter Adam Schefter and NFL Insider Ian Rapoport, the Washington Redskins benching RG3 was to become official Wednesday morning when Gruden meets with reporters. It won’t be the first time Robert Griffin III hasn’t played for the Redskins this season, but it will be the first time he’s watched from the sidelines when he’s been healthy.
RG3 missed six games earlier this season after suffering a dislocated ankle in Week 2. The injury did not require surgery, nor did it involve any broken bones, which allowed Griffin to return to the Redskins lineup this season.
However, his return has been marred by incomplete passes, a seeming inability to run, more than a dozen sacks and according to his coaches “poor foot work.” Gruden in fact made a public apology last week for his comments made about RG3, saying he should have kept such talk in the locker room and on a personal level rather than airing them in public.
Interestingly, if the Washington Redskins benching RG3 proves true on Wednesday, the coaching staff will name Colt McCoy the starting QB for Sunday’s game against the Colts. Though Kirk Cousins is the Redskins’ statistical QB leader this season, McCoy has had better results.
With McCoy at quarterback, the Redskins won both games, including a Monday Night Football win over the Dallas Cowboys. The 3-8 Redskins currently sit in fourth place in the NFC East, so they’ll surely be looking for more of McCoy’s magic in the win column.
As recently as Monday, Gruden said “At this time, right now, Robert’s my guy. Right now.” It wasn’t exactly a ringing endorsement, and it now seems evident why.
If McCoy plays well against the Colts on Sunday, what are the chances we’ll see RG3 back in the starting lineup at all? And, dare we say it, back on the Redskins next season?
