Does RG3 need to shut it down for a while?

I usually am opposed to jumping on another writer’s point and making it my own, but I saw something today that caught my eye and I thought I’d share it. It’s a Yahoo! Sports article by Anwar S. Richardson that discusses Ahmad Brooks’ comments about Robert Griffin III.

After suffering a devastating knee injury and playing through it in the playoffs last year, Griffin underwent surgery in the offseason and rehabbed in record time. His timetable was so insane that head coach, Mike Shanahan had to intervene and try to slow him down some.

A lot has recently been made about toughness and “warrior” mentality in the NFL, and Griffin certainly personified that way of thinking, even going so far as to butt heads with his coach about when he would return to game action.

I wonder sometimes if his public dispute with Shanahan was in any way related to this documentary that was made:

If Griffin didn’t get back to playing right away, the narrative of the documentary titled “The Will to Win” would have been nowhere near as powerful. Add to that the pressure the Redskins have been under for some time to not be horrible and the incredible hyperbole that surrounded the Griffin-led Redskins going to the playoffs last season, and you have a recipe for everyone to talk themselves into RG3 being healthy and ready to play sooner than he actually was.

Robert Griffin III has just not looked right this season. By Keith Allison (Flickr: Robert Griffin III) via Wikimedia Commons

Now, the ‘Skins are 3-8 and in last place in a very mediocre division. Their future that looked so bright less than a season ago now begins to get hazy. Backup Kirk Cousins has proven to be solid in relief appearances and is a player who could develop somewhere else if not in Washington.

If Washington has an option like Cousins, I really agree with Richardson on this one. Maybe he should have already gotten a shot. He definitely should now.

Griffin isn’t the same guy. He doesn’t seem as comfortable using the skill-set that got him to the place he is. He isn’t the only reason the Redskins are 3-8, but since they are, why don’t we let RG3 heal up a little more and see what kind of real commodity they have with Cousins. Fans in Washington might find that they’ve been excited about the wrong guy all along.