Robert Griffin III is once again left fighting for his future with the Washington Redskins. The quarterback appeared to be more secure with his role after the team picked up his fifth-year option this past summer and opted not to chase a rookie in the NFL Draft. Instead they kept Kirk Cousins and Colt McCoy on board and inserted Griffin into the starting role. However, a concussion suffered in the preseason game has put Griffin on the chopping block once again as the Redskins are reportedly eyeing a move on from the quarterback.
Washington had every opportunity to chase players like Marcus Mariota and Jameis Winston in the NFL Draft and instead they extended Griffin's contract and re-sign McCoy. Head coach Jay Gruden stressed his confidence in Griffin's ability as a starter and the team supposedly moved forward. However, with the Redskins announcing via ESPN that Cousins will be starting Week 1 as the quarterback heals from a concussion, does that mean Griffin is not long for Washington?
According to a report from Dianna Russini and Adam Schefter of ESPN.com, the Redskins have had trade discussions around Griffin as the front office and coaching staff wants to part ways with the quarterback while the team ownership group wants to keep him around. The report states that Washington has dangled Griffin in front of some teams, but has been met with little interest thanks to the quarterback's injury history and poor production on the field. While a deal for Griffin is not happening at this point in the offseason, could next year be a different story?
All Cousins has to do is win one game as the starting quarterback. Gruden told the media that he wants consistency at the position. With Griffin out with injury, Cousins is stepping in and if he can be successful, the Redskins will stick with him until they feel another change is needed. If Cousins excels, the trade rumors around Griffin will be deafening as a number of teams could easily emerge as contenders.
The Cleveland Browns will first see what they have in Josh McCown and Johnny Manziel. McCown is not the long-term option which leaves Manziel to prove that he is. The Buffalo Bills are dealing with quarterback issues as they clearly do not have a franchise player on the roster with Tyrod Taylor, EJ Manuel and Matt Cassel battling it out. The New York Jets have a short-term option in Ryan Fitzpatrick and a question mark above the head of Geno Smith. The Houston Texans are deciding the future of the Brian Hoyer-Ryan Mallett battle. If Griffin becomes an option, expect those teams to at least give an interested phone call to Washington.
