Tom Brady has won four Super Bowls, Aaron Rodgers is the reigning MVP and Peyton Manning holds almost every major passing record imaginable. But according to Robert Griffin III, they aren't the best quarterbacks in football.
RG3 hasn’t given up on being the best quarterback in the NFL
Griffin said in an interview he thinks he’s at the top of his game, but also recognizes he has to go out and prove it.
Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports
He is.
In an interview with WJLA Sunday, Washington’s QB said he is optimistic as he enters his fourth professional season, even though he has failed to replicate the success he enjoyed as a rookie in 2012.
“I know I’m the best quarterback on this team,” Griffin said. “I feel like I’m the best quarterback in the league and I have to go out and show that.”
It's nice to see the confidence from Griffin, whose career has been mired with controversy and injury ever since he won the Rookie of the Year Award. He tore his ACL in a wild card game against the Seahawks three seasons ago, and suffered a disclosed ankle in Week 2 last year. All the while, he engaged in a seemingly yearlong feud with head coach Mike Shanahan in 2013.
But there is a difference between confidence and outrageous hyperbole. Given how poorly Griffin compares to the real top quarterbacks in the league, this statement falls into the latter category.
| Tm | G | GS | Cmp | Att | Cmp% | Yds | TD ▾ | Int | Rate | Sk | Y/A | W | L | T | |
| Peyton Manning | DEN | 48 | 48 | 1245 | 1839 | 67.7 | 14863 | 131 | 36 | 107.8 | 56 | 8.08 | 38 | 10 | 0 |
| Drew Brees | NOR | 48 | 48 | 1324 | 1979 | 66.9 | 15291 | 115 | 48 | 99.3 | 92 | 7.73 | 25 | 23 | 0 |
| Aaron Rodgers | GNB | 41 | 41 | 905 | 1362 | 66.45 | 11212 | 94 | 19 | 108.9 | 100 | 8.23 | 29 | 12 | 0 |
| Tony Romo | DAL | 46 | 46 | 1071 | 1618 | 66.19 | 12436 | 93 | 38 | 98.6 | 100 | 7.69 | 28 | 18 | 0 |
| Tom Brady | NWE | 48 | 48 | 1154 | 1847 | 62.48 | 13279 | 92 | 28 | 94.4 | 88 | 7.19 | 36 | 12 | 0 |
| Philip Rivers | SDG | 48 | 48 | 1095 | 1641 | 66.73 | 12370 | 89 | 44 | 96 | 115 | 7.54 | 25 | 23 | 0 |
| Ben Roethlisberger | PIT | 45 | 45 | 1067 | 1641 | 65.02 | 12478 | 86 | 31 | 97.5 | 105 | 7.6 | 26 | 19 | 0 |
| Matt Ryan | ATL | 48 | 48 | 1276 | 1894 | 67.37 | 13928 | 86 | 45 | 94.1 | 103 | 7.35 | 23 | 25 | 0 |
| Andrew Luck | CLT | 48 | 48 | 1062 | 1813 | 58.58 | 12957 | 86 | 43 | 86.6 | 100 | 7.15 | 33 | 15 | 0 |
| Andy Dalton | CIN | 48 | 48 | 1001 | 1595 | 62.76 | 11360 | 79 | 53 | 86.7 | 96 | 7.12 | 31 | 16 | 1 |
| Robert Griffin | WAS | 37 | 35 | 679 | 1063 | 63.88 | 8097 | 40 | 23 | 90.6 | 101 | 7.62 | 14 | 21 | 0 |
(stats via Pro-Football-Reference.com)
Later in the interview, Griffin did concede that his resume doesn’t stack up to the greats at his position.
“Any athlete at any level, if they concede to someone else, they’re not a top competitor, they’re not trying to be the best that they can be,” Griffin said. “There’s guys in this league that have done way more than me. But, I still view myself as the best because that’s what I work toward every single day.”
Washington head coach Jay Gruden said Monday he thinks Griffin is on his way, via Pro Football Talk.
“I just think his comfort in the pocket looked a little bit better,” Gruden said. “We still have a long way to go to grade him, but we’re happy with his progress. We’ve just got to continue to work with him and be positive and go from there.”
It’s good Griffin is seemingly having a good training camp, because it will be difficult for him to walk back from his comments over the weekend. If he doesn’t want that quote thrown in his face all season long, he’ll have to repeat his performance from his rookie season -- and do it fast.
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