Washington coach Jay Gruden thinks Robert Griffin III cares more about his personal brand than about learning to become an NFL quarterback, and as a result Gruden wants Griffin gone from the franchise.
That’s the word from Jason Reid of the Washington Post, who reports that Gruden feels strongly that the franchise must part ways with Griffin. Gruden benched Griffin for Colt McCoy not only because Gruden believes that’s the right thing for the franchise this season, but because he believes Griffin is not, and will not be, the long-term answer.
The report cites multiple unnamed sources as saying that Gruden is done with Griffin, that Gruden believes Griffin is fundamentally lacking in the kind of pocket presence an NFL quarterback needs, and that Gruden thinks Griffin makes decisions off the field that are motivated by “enhancing his brand” rather than by improving as a quarterback.
How dead-set against coaching Griffin is Gruden? So much so, according to the report, that “Gruden may have to come up with an exit strategy even faster than Mike Shanahan did” if owner Dan Snyder and General Manager Bruce Allen refuse to trade Griffin in the offseason.
In other words, Gruden may be at the point where he’s giving Snyder and Allen an ultimatum: It’s Griffin or me.
Ultimately, whether or not Griffin remains in Washington beyond this season will be Snyder’s call. It is, after all, his football team, and Snyder has never been a hands-off owner. But if Snyder isn’t willing to part with Griffin, he may have little choice but to part with his head coach. Again.
Which means the situation in Washington, which looked late last season like it couldn’t have gotten any worse, has indeed gotten worse.