To be a successful NFL quarterback, one can’t lock for confidence. But during his days with the Washington Redskins, Robert Griffin III really blurred the line between confident and delusional.
Griffin, who took the league by storm in 2012 en route to winning The Associated Press Offensive Rookie of the Year award, currently is a free agent and hasn’t appeared in an NFL game since last season with the Cleveland Browns. Mike Shanahan, RG3’s head coach in Washington, appeared on Fox Sports 1’s “Undisputed” on Friday, and talked about Griffin’s fall from grace.
In Shanahan’s recollection, Griffin became obsessed with becoming a pure pocket passer, while his coach wanted him to continue to use his mobility to keep defenses off balance while Griffin developed his pocket-passing skills. Russell Wilson and Deshaun Watson are two quarterbacks Shanahan seems to feel have found that happy medium.
But Griffin, according to Shanahan, “really believed he was Aaron Rodgers” — that is, an elite pocket passer.
Admittedly, hearing RG3 mentioned in the same sentence as Rodgers sound ridiculous now. But let’s not forget just how good the Baylor product was during that magical rookie season.
