Robert Griffin III had total reconstructive knee surgery on Wednesday to repair a torn ACL and LCL. He reportedly is expected to need 6-8 months to recover, but ESPN’s Chris Mortensen reported that Griffin would be back in time for the Washington Redskins’ season opener. One of Griffin’s teammates feels differently.
Defensive back DeAngelo Hall told ESPN’s Josina Anderson that he doubts RG3 will be ready when the season begins.
“I hope Robert [Griffin III] is back on the field next year, trust me,” Hall told Anderson. “But it will be a miracle if he’s back opening day and I definitely don’t think that’s going to happen. It’s interesting the way the ball drops. I want him back on the field like everybody else, but we have to be realistic and he has to be safe.
“[Former Redskins running back] Tim Hightower tore his ACL in Week [7 of the 2011 season] and he wasn’t back for the [2012 regular season] and we ended up having to cut him. That was almost a year. [Vikings running back Adrian Peterson] tore his Week 16 against us but he’s back in time for the start of this season. It just depends. It just varies. Now you consider that Robert tore the same ACL twice, so it could take longer and be harder to come back from. [Peterson] is just a freak of nature. There’s no way around that one.”
Hall was asked if he didn’t consider Griffin a freak of nature like Peterson.
“Yes he’s freakish athletically, but from a recovery standpoint that may or may not be a different story. I don’t know a lot about ACLs. I have never injured one. I don’t know all the details about the process. All I know is that I wish him the best and I want him to come back as soon and as safe as possible.”
Hall isn’t being Mr. Negative so much as he’s giving an honest assessment. As he pointed out, each injury situation is different. And just because Adrian Peterson came back in time for the season to begin and was a stud doesn’t mean everyone coming back from ACL surgery can do the same thing. Derrick Rose tore his ACL in April and still isn’t back for the Chicago Bulls.
I’m not saying that I don’t think Griffin will be back in time for the team’s season opener but, like Hall, I have my doubts.
