Hall of Fame quarterback Steve Young says he knows the problem with Robert Griffin III: He doesn’t work hard enough.
Young said on the Michael Kay Show that he has spoken with coaches who have worked with Griffin, and those coaches told him that Griffin simply doesn’t spend the long hours studying film that an NFL quarterback needs.
“I’ve talked to his previous coaches, people I really trust and admire, that know quarterbacks. He doesn’t put the time in,” Young said.
Young didn’t mention any of those “previous coaches” by name, but it’s not a leap to infer that he’s referring to Mike Shanahan, who was Washington’s head coach for Griffin’s first two seasons. Shanahan was the 49ers’ offensive coordinator from 1992 to 1994, when Young was having his three best seasons as the 49ers’ starting quarterback. Shanahan and Young have been close for years.
According to Young, it’s the mental side of the game that makes a good quarterback in the NFL, and Young believes that Griffin needs to spend more time developing the mental side of the game during the offseason.
“Success is really about expertise,” Young said. “May, June, July work, and going to school.”
Much like Griffin, Young was once an athletic quarterback who needed time to learn how to be a pocket passer. Young thinks it’s harder for great runners like Griffin to develop as passers because they always assume they can fall back on running if they need to.
“Guys that can use their legs, it’s like they’re not desperate. Guys who can’t use their legs are more desperate so they’ll put more time in,” Young said.
And according to Young, Griffin isn’t putting the time in. That’s what’s holding him back.