RG3 has an injury that kept his team from winning its first playoff game in years and could keep him sidelined for quite a while.
Washington Redskins coach Mike Shanahan has drawn criticism for leaving quarterback Robert Griffin III in Sunday’s wild-card playoff game even though RG3 was in obvious pain. The injury to his right knee kept him from stepping into his throws, and RG3 limped on roll-out plays throughout the game after aggravating the injury early in the contest.
RG3 acknowledged that the injury was getting to him, and that he was risking making it even worse by remaining in the game.
“I think I did put myself at more risk by being out there,” Griffin told ESPN . “But every time you get on the field, you’re putting yourself on the line.”
Griffin is now scheduled for an MRI to determine the extent of the injury, but Shanahan is already in trouble for risking the quarterback’s health. USA Today Sports reported that renowned surgeon and Redskins team physician Dr. James Andrews never actually cleared RG3 to play after his injury against the Ravens earlier in December, even though Shanahan told reporters he was cleared to play.
After a fantastic rookie season, in which he led the Redskins to seven consecutive wins to take the NFC East for the first time since 1999, RG3 looks headed to a promising career. But critics are now worried what long-term damage RG3 may suffer if the injury turns out to be serious. An ACL tear could take months to repair, and many athletes have returned from such injuries minus some of the speed and explosiveness they had before.
