Even though all the tests have come back positive, and even though Robert Griffin III has been cleared to practice, the Redskins will still be in the hands of another quarterback for most of training camp and the preseason.
And even though that role will go away soon, Kirk Cousins is OK with that.
While RG3 will do some 7-on-7 drills, it’ll be Cousins out there with the starters during team drills, and probably the entire preseason.
“Everyone knows – including myself – that this is Robert’s team,” Cousins said, via Mike Jones of the Washington Post. “And it’s my job that any time Robert’s not able to play, that there’s not a drop off, offensively, from Robert to myself. That’s a lot to ask of myself, but that’s the expectation, and I need to make sure that happens.
“It’s my job to be a very good insurance policy.”
Cousins is handling this right, for many reasons.
One, self-awareness can be taken for granted when dealing with athletes, as it’s not as common as you’d think.
But he’s also helping himself for a future deal, with the Redskins or another, by not making waves, and making the most of the extensive work he’s getting with the starters. Most second-year backups aren’t getting the kind of practice repetitions Cousins is getting, and that extra work is going to have him sharper when he’s called on to play again.