The Washington Redskins were eliminated from the NFL playoffs Sunday, but may have lost much more by letting start quarterback RG3 play on a bad knee.
In the Redskins December 9 overtime win versus the Baltimore Ravens Robert Griffin III suffered a knee injury that was initially believed to be an ACL sprain but was then changed to a minor LCL sprain.He missed one start.
The rest of the season rG3 wore a knee brace and led the Redskins to a 10-6 record and the team’s first NFC East division title since 1999.
The hype going into Sunday’s game was the battle between RG3 and Russell Wilson, another rookie quarterback sensation starting for the Seattle Seahawks.
Both players are the first rookie quarterbacks in NFL history to have passer ratings of 100 plus and both are read/option quarterbacks with dangerous running ability.
At the end of the day Wilson towered over Griffin by going 15 of 26 for 187 yards. RG3 completed 10 of 19 passes with two touchdowns and one interception. His knee buckled on a shotgun snap in the 4th quarter and he was barely able to limp off the field.
Redskins head coach Mike Shanahan asked RG3 about his knee all game to make sure he was okay to stay in. He told reporters after the game:
“He gave me the right answers.”
Asked about not taking himself out of the game RG3 told reporters:
“I think I did put myself at more risk by being out there. That’s just the approach I had to take. My teammates needed me out there.”
RG3 may have the right approach as a team leader but knee injuries can be serious and in some cases career ending.
According to USA Today Redskins physician and renowned Orthopedist Dr. James Andrews expressed concern for Griffin’s long-term prognosis before the game and claims he never cleared the quarterback to play after his initial December 9 injury.
Here is a video with of RG3’s playoff injury against the Seahawks:
What do you think, should RG3 have taken himself out the game to preserve his own career longevity?