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This is me emptying the “hate mail” folder in my email inbox.
Yes, you read that sentence at the top of the page correctly. Robert Griffin III should just sit out the 2013 season. Not because I don’t want the Washington Redskins to succeed, but more because I do want to see a quality player (and person) like RG3 have a long and illustrious career in the NFL.
I’m fully aware of all the internet scuttlebutt about Griffin being ready for opening week–or then again, not, depending on who you talk to. It’s entirely possible that with some continued intense rehab that RG3’s surgically repaired knee will be ready to withstand the punishment of another NFL season.
But is “possible” worth the risk of losing a guy who could carry your franchise for the next decade?
This young man just had the LCL and ACL (again) repaired in his right knee on Jan. 9. To expect him to come back within a few months of that type of injury and surgery is short-sighted at best.
First of all, I’d love for people to stop making comparisons to Minnesota Vikings freak-of-nature RB Adrian Peterson. NOBODY comes back from the type of devastating knee injury that Peterson had as quickly as he did, and has the type of uber-productive season that he had in 2012. Nobody (except Peterson, of course).
Griffin might be ready for Week One. He might get in and play well. It’s also possible he may not be ready until Week Three or even Week Four. With all of that conjecture going on, why take the risk?
Yes, if RG3 plays in 2013, and manages not to get hurt again, he’ll probably lead the Redskins to another playoff berth, and possibly even another division title. But considering the punishment that he and his knee took last season, and the fact that the season-ending injury wasn’t from a hit, but rather just from his knee completely collapsing underneath him, I’d think the Redskins would want to be a little more cautious with their investment.
If Griffin sits out the 2013 season, and lets his knee really heal, and lets his body get away from trying to compensate for any pain or discomfort he’s feeling, then he’ll be better off and so will the team. It’s not like this injury happened at the beginning of the season. He got knocked out of commission in the postseason, so trying to have him ready by the opening week of this year really accelerates his rehab beyond anything rational.
And it’s not like this knee injury was the only ding that RG3 received last season. He suffered a concussion against the Atlanta Falcons, and was banged up pretty badly in a couple of other games. Not to mention he tore the ACL in the same knee at Baylor in 2009. His style of play puts his body in jeopardy, and that has to be taken into consideration before he’s allowed to take the field again.
If Washington head coach Mike Shanahan wants to skulk out from under the shadow of idiocy that he put himself in by playing Griffin when he probably shouldn’t have, then telling his star QB to just take a season to get himself healed would be a great way to do it.
Sitting a star player is never a popular move, but for goodness sake, Griffin is only coming into his second year in the NFL. Missing one season this early in his career is not going to hurt his future–on the contrary it may help to prolong it.
At least I know Dr. James Andrews won’t send me hate mail for this column. That’s something, right?
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Michael Collins is a Rant Sports Senior NFL Writer, and Atlanta sports columnist. Follow him @GaSportsCraze on Twitter and here on Facebook
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