Donovan McNabb has never been shy about speaking his mind when it comes to Robert Griffin III and the Washington Redskins. Earlier this offseason, McNabb said that he felt RG3 was becoming a distraction to his team when he should be focusing strictly on rehabbing from knee surgery.
“It’s too much right now; it’s just too much,” McNabb told the Washington Post in May. “I get some of things he’s doing to draw attention to himself: the Adidas commercials, going out and enjoying the life of a young, famous NFL quarterback. I understand RG has a lot of stuff going on.
“But if you’re coming off ACL surgery, you don’t need to be having a press conference at OTAs. Every week? Really? It becomes a circus, a sideshow. It takes away from the focus of what those sessions are supposed to be about: the team.”
By all indications, RG3 is ahead of schedule with his recovery. Had he been focusing too much attention on endorsements and enjoying himself, that probably would not be possible. In a recent interview with GQ magazine, Griffin was asked about McNabb’s opinion.
[Related: RG3 says there is ‘no doubt’ he will play Week 1]
“I don’t think Donovan is an idiot by any means,” RG3 said. “But right now, it’s probably best we don’t talk.
It should be noted that McNabb has also defended Griffin in the past, calling the amount of criticism the Redskin receives “depressing” and essentially pulling the race card. Prior to that, McNabb said that RG3 would never be a fit with Mike Shanahan in Washington.
The thing that likely irritated Griffin about McNabb’s criticism is that he prides himself on working hard and avoiding life’s temptations.
“Never had a drop (of alcohol),” he told GQ. “I don’t smoke, I don’t drink, I’ve never done any drugs. I need my body to be at its peak performance, and I want to have a long career, and alcohol can inhibit that sometimes. And I don’t need to get in trouble because I went out and got drunk one night and I don’t know how to be drunk.”
Griffin said when he retires and has earned the right to do nothing all day, then he will consider giving alcohol a try. His work ethic is rarely questioned, which is why most people were confused by McNabb’s comments back in May. I don’t blame RG3 for not wanting to speak to the former Redskins quarterback.
