Robert Griffin III took the NFL by storm this season and helped lead the Washington Redskins to their first NFC East division title since 1999.
Griffin proved to be a leader and a strong presence in the locker room, but his determination to play despite being injured might be the major obstacle to him becoming an all-time great player. The second-overall pick in the 2012 Draft was forced to leave Sunday's Wild Card playoff matchup against the Seattle Seahawks after he re-aggravated a knee injury from earlier in the season. Griffin took a bad snap and tried to twist to get it, but fell to the ground after his knee bent at an odd angle.
The Seahawks won their first playoff road game in eight tries with the 4-14 NFC wild-card victory, while Griffin and the Redskins were left looking for answers.
"I think I did put myself at more risk by being out there," Griffin said to ESPN.com. "But every time you get on the field, you're putting yourself on the line."
Griffin will have an MRI this week to determine the extent of the injury. Head coach Mike Shanahan faced questions after the game about Griffin's health and whether or not he should have started the game in the first place. Shanahan was unsure of exactly what was injured, but said that the rookie had previously been cleared to play in the game.
The injury originally occurred to Griffin in a game against the Ravens a month ago. Griffin collided with a Ravens player and banged his knee in the fourth quarter of a 31-28 victory against the Baltimore on Dec. 9. He missed a start, but returned the following week against the Cleveland Browns.
On Sunday, Dr. James Andrews, who is the team physician and has worked on numerous high-profile athletes during his medical career, said to USA Today Sports that he never gave medical clearance for Griffin to return to the contest against the Ravens.
"I've been a nervous wreck letting him come back as quick as he has," Andrews told USA Today. "(Griffin) didn't even let us look at him. He came off the field, walked through the sidelines, circled back through the players and took off back to the field. It wasn't our opinion.
Griffin wore a knee brace towards the end of the season and had it on his knee on Sunday against the Seahawks. The rookie also dealt with a concussion earlier this season after playing against the Atlanta Falcons.
"It was hard to watch RG III tonight," Seattle coach Pete Carroll said. "It was hard on him. He was freaking gallant."
Following the injury, Griffin was able to walk on his own, but he never came back in and was replaced by fellow rookie Kirk Cousins. Griffin threw for 84 yards on 10-of-19 passes with two touchdowns in the loss. Although Griffin likely gave Washington the best chance to win, Shanaham risked the future of the franchise and the future of the player by keeping him in the game.
"If you didn't pull him out then, you should get fired," Shanahan said.
Griffin struggled early in the game and also threw a deep interception to Earl Thomas, but Shanahan kept him in the game. Even if he did take him out, Griffin likely would have refused.
"I probably would been right back out there on the field," Griffin said. "You respect authority, and I respect Coach Shanahan. But at the same time, you have to step up and be a man, sometimes. There was no way I was coming out of that game."
Griffin tweeted on Monday about some of the criticism Shanahan took for keeping him in the game.
"Many may question, criticize & think they have all the right answers. But few have been in the line of fire in battle," he wrote.
Griffin helped Washington make the playoffs after a 3-6 start, leading them to seven straight wins to end the season. He led the team to 10 wins for the first time since 2005 and the playoffs for the first time since 2007, but his style of play may end up being his biggest down fall. This season Griffin passed for 3,200 yards and 20 touchdowns while also rushing for 815 yards and seven scores, but dealt with various injuries.
Griffin is an amazing player and a dynamic presence in the offense, but he can't do anything for the Redskins while he is on the sidelines. Cousins has proven to be an able-bodied backup and a skilled quarterback in his limited playing time, he is not considered to be the franchise player or the quarterback of the future for the Redskins.
Michael Vick is a similar case to Griffin in the sense that they both take a lot of hit due to their running ability and quarterback style. Griffin is a much better passer than Vick is, but he could learn a thing or two from watching how he plays. Vick has probably been hit and chipped more times by opposing players over the past two seasons than anyone else in the NFL, and his play has suffered for it.
Griffin has now already missed one game during his rookie season and may not ever play a full 16-game schedule due to his style of play
Andrew Luck on the other hand has shown athleticism in the pocket and while running, but his big frame and intelligence as a football player has kept him from getting hit. Luck can avoid the big shots from guys because he is large himself, but he also has consistently used slides and the sidelines to avoid potentially big hits this year.
Coming into the draft, many in the NFL had Luck pegged as the No. 1 pick based on his skills, but also about his durability as a quarterback. He barely missed any time while at Stanford and made it through his rookie season without suffering any major injuries.
In the short term Griffin is the more dynamic quarterback and the likely winner of the Offensive Rookie of the Year, but it is Luck who is nearly guaranteed a long career due to his style of play. Griffin is 6' 2", 217 lbs, which is solid for a quarterback of his style, but Luck has more meat on the bones at 6' 4", 234 lbs, making it more likely that he will be able to take the hits as the season goes on.
The MRI is still to come, but as long as Griffin plays to his best skills, he will be an injury liability for the Redskins.
