After announcing Wednesday that second year quarterback Robert Griffin III would sit out for the remainder of the season, offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan assured RG3 will start the 2014 campaign for the Redskins.
The decision to bench the former number two overall draft pick came from head coach Mike Shanahan. The Redskins sit at 3-10 and at the bottom of the NFC East, so the announcement does not come as much of a surprise. Their is no hope at a magical playoff run for Washington, so benching RG3 allows the athletic quarterback to have time before the off-season to rest his surgically-repaired knee.
Shanahan, who many see as on the outs in Washington, will be challenged of the motives behind the benching. Many have labeled the coach’s questionable decision as a way of marking his exit from the team. It is no secret RG3 and Mike Shanahan don’t always get along.
Whatever the case may be, nobody on the team is going to tell you their quarterback is not still a key part of the Redskins plans going forward. Offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan said, “It’s ridiculous to act like this is a quarterback competition.” When Shanahan says competition, he is referring to backup quarterback Kirk Cousins who will start the final games of the season for the Redskins.
Cousins is also a second year quarterback and many see him as a future starter in the NFL. While there may not be much of a future for the player in Washington, this three game stretch allows Cousins to audition his abilities for the rest of the league. He fell to the Redskins during his draft, and the Redskins knew that he could be a potential trade piece, or at least a great backup quarterback going forward.