National Football League

Shanahan: Injuries are not why Robert Griffin III struggles

Published May. 23, 2015 3:21 p.m. ET

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Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III had an excellent rookie season in 2012 that saw him pass for 3,200 yards with 27 total touchdowns and only five interceptions. Griffin also helped lead the Redskins to a 10-6 record and a rare playoff appearance.

Since then, RG3’s struggles have been well-documented. In addition to being hampered by injuries, the former Heisman Trophy winner just hasn’t performed up to expectations.

While some blame injuries for the quarterback’s struggles, former Redskins head coach Mike Shanahan isn’t buying into that theory:

“I don’t think getting hurt has anything to do with it,” Shanahan told WJFK in Washington on Friday. “I think what you do is you rehab yourself and you get better. You don’t have to have great running ability to run the read-option. You have to be able to know when to slide, when to throw the football away, depending on if you’re running or passing.”

There’s little doubt that these have been major issues for RG3 since his amazing performance as a rookie. However, it appears that Shanahan is still attempting to cast blame elsewhere. Instead of looking in the mirror and taking responsibility for some horrendous coaching decisions, including having RG3 play through an injured knee back in 2012, Shanahan refused to take responsibility for any of the struggles we have seen recently.

Shanahan’s commentary aside, Griffin’s 2013 and 2014 seasons were a hot mess when he was on the field. From terrible footwork to awkward slides to failing to read defenses, the 2012 version of Griffin has yet to return.

Shanahan did breathe a little life back into RG3 by commenting on some of his positive attributes while keeping his opinion real.

“Robert has a lot of ability. He’s a charismatic guy. He’s got mobility. He’s got arm strength. He’s a very bright guy. But he hasn’t done things that the NFL asks you to do, and it does take some growing pains to go through that.”

RG3 has clearly reached that proverbial fork in the road. While Washington did pick up his fifth-year option for the 2016 season, it appears that this year could be a make-or-break campaign for the embattled signal caller.

By agreeing to pay RG3 $16.2 million in 2016, the Redskins have shown some faith in the embattled quarterback -- faith that might not be warranted. Over the course of his past 20 starts, the fourth-year quarterback boasts a 5-15 record.

In addition to winning more on the field, Griffin simply needs to stay healthy. No matter what Shanahan says, injuries have played a major role here. And in reality, another one would prove to be more than detrimental to RG3’s career.

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