Robert Griffin III is expected to return to his spot at the helm of the Washington offense on Sunday, after missing several weeks due to a dislocated ankle suffered in Week 2. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the decision to start Griffin may not have been one made by Washington head coach Jay Gruden, though. Instead, it was owner Dan Snyder and general manager Bruce Snyder that reportedly forced Griffin back in the lineup for Week 9.
Decision to start RG3 this week reportedly came from owner and GM
Griffin has “alienated the locker room” and his placement in the starting lineup may have come from higher ups in the Washington organization, according to reports.
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With Griffin out of the lineup in Week 8, Washington instead relied on Colt McCoy in a Monday Night Football matchup against the Dallas Cowboys, and McCoy led the team to an upset victory with 25 of 30 passes completed for 299 yards. Still, after a full week of practice, Griffin was listed as probable and has been reinserted as the team's starter.
Reports of Snyder and the general manager pressing for Griffin to play harkens back to the decision to start RG3 out of the gate last season, despite not practicing during camp or playing in the preseason, when many felt he wasn’t ready. It also raises the specter of the controversy and reported tensions between former head coach Mike Shanahan and his bosses over Griffin.
Griffin completed 31 of 40 passes for 305 yards to begin the 2014 season, but suffered his ankle injury against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 2. The injury did not require surgery to repair and Griffin was replaced by Kirk Cousins, who eventually lost his job to McCoy.
Locker room controversy?
But just because Griffin was given back to reins to the Washington offense doesn’t necessarily mean he has the team behind him, as the quarterback has “alienated the locker room,” according to ESPN’s Britt McHenry. A few other reporters on the scene this week adding some important context to the story.
Players were yelling and cheering while RG3 was speaking with a reporter on Friday. They left the locker room to get away from the noise, and the yelling got louder. Rob Carlin with CSN Washington said Sunday morning that the yelling came from players frustrated with the media being in the locker room. It had nothing to do with RG3 or how the rest of the team views the third-year quarterback.
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