After the Redskins fired coach Mike Shanahan, quarterback Robert Griffin III avoided the media. He then opted to participate in a conference call, during which he made a statement and apparently took no questions.
“You guys were coming to get me and talk to me at my locker earlier, and I didn’t want to say anything at that time because I hadn’t talked to Coach or any of the coaches yet,” Griffin told reporters during a conference call, via quotes distributed by the team. “I got a chance to talk to all of them before I left and I just want to say that Coach Shanahan has taught me a lot in the last two years of being with him. I want to thank him for drafting me to the Washington Redskins and giving me the chance to live out my dreams.
“I also want to thank Kyle [Shanahan] and Matt [LaFleur] for working so hard with me every day, day in and day out. We did a lot of great things together and I wish all three of them the best in the future. I’m looking forward to a new year and building this team back to where we know it should be.”
Per Tarik El-Bashir of CSNWashington.com, someone familiar with Griffin’s decision said Griffin “was worried about saying something that could be misconstrued at a sensitive time.” Griffin instead preferred to “lay low.”
The question-free telephonic Q&A apparently represents a compromise between saying nothing and saying something that could be misunderstood. Ultimately, Griffin said nothing -- and that’s good news for him and the team on a day when they already have enough to worry about.