Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III debuted a new hairstyle on Monday during his press conference. With the new braids came the same attitude of a player who is ready to return to action and have the ball in his hands. In fact, RG3 even guaranteed that he will play in the first game of the regular season.
“There’s no doubt I’m playing Week 1,” he said, via Eye on Football. “That’s the way I feel about it.”
Griffin said he is no longer feeling any soreness after recovering from the second reconstructive knee surgery of his career. However, Redskins head coach Mike Shanahan has all but ruled out the possibility of him playing in the preseason. Despite the fact that RG3 feels healthy, Shanahan and his staff are sticking to their initial timeline. Griffin was candid in saying he doesn’t agree with that.
“I can’t B.S. that answer. So, uh, no. I don’t like it,” he said when asked about Shanahan’s schedule. “There’s some part of it that I do understand. I don’t understand all of it. At the end of the day he gave me his word. We talked privately. I know the whole plan. I’m not telling the whole plan. I don’t understand the whole plan at all and I can’t lie about that.”
My guess is Shanahan’s “word” was that RG3 will be playing in the regular-season opener as long as he still feels healthy. Griffin will start participating in live drills on Tuesday, but he sounds like he’s ready for more.
“Just live action. I don’t think it’s a huge step,” he said. “It’s just time to get back out there with my teammates. I’ve proven that I’m capable of protecting myself.”
It’s easy to understand why Shanahan is being so cautious. The Redskins’ season rests on RG3’s shoulders, and risking injury in the preseason is not something Shanahan is willing to do at this point. Over the winter, one of Griffin’s teammates said it would be a “miracle” if he was ready for the season opener. Based on the stuff RG3 said Monday, I’d guess a miracle is on its way.
Photo via Twitter/Will Brinson
