Former Washington Redskins tight end and current DC sports radio host Chris Cooley talked a lot Monday about the tense relationship between RG3 and Kirk Cousins.
We’ve heard a lot about the strange dynamic between Robert Griffin III and Cousins in Washington. The two were drafted the same year in 2012 with RG3 being selected No. 2 overall to be the franchise QB and Cousins a fourth-round pick expected to be a backup. RG3 came out of the gates looking like a star and Cousins a competent backup, which meant everything was in place the way it was supposed to be. But RG3 fell off completely and Cousins emerged as the franchise QB last season, creating an awkward environment.
According to DC Sports Bog’s Dan Steinberg, Cooley said on the radio Monday that Griffin always had an issue with Cousins from the start.
“From the moment Kirk was drafted, I think Robert had animosity towards him. A lot of people in this area hated that fourth-round pick; I don’t think anyone hated it as much as RGIII hated it,” Cooley opined on his show on ESPN 980.
Cooley also said Griffin was never willing to be friends with Cousins.
“Robert was never willing to be friends with Kirk Cousins,” Cooley said via DC Sports Bog. “They never hung out together, they never spent time together, their families didn’t hang out together. … It was never a great relationship. I don’t think Robert ever wanted it to be a great relationship. And I think it became really contentious over the last two years, to where Rex Grossman, a guy who I’m close with, said ‘This is weird in here. This is a bad situation in here. These guys don’t like each other.’”
Not only did Cooley say the players were not friends, but he also said the offensive line and receivers did not like Griffin either. He says the linemen didn’t like RG3 because they felt they were collectively viewed negatively for Griffin taking so many sacks. Receivers supposedly did not like Griffin because he wasn’t getting them the ball enough.
None of this is too new considering there was a report in September saying RG3 and Cousins refused to speak to each other. But recently Cousins tried to downplay things and say his relationship with Griffin was “very good.” It sounds like it’s anything but that.
At least the awkwardness should be gone now that Griffin has been released. The question is: Where will the former Heisman Trophy winner end up next?
