When the Washington Redskins traded up and selected quarterback Robert Griffin III with the second overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, the team was expecting him to be their franchise quarterback for years to come. After winning Rookie of the Year in 2012, Griffin had yet another knee injury in 2013, this time a torn ACL, the gunslinger was never the same on the field, or so we thought.
On Tuesday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter joined WKNR’s “The Golden Boyz” and had plenty to talk about, including the fact that this preseason, RG3 is playing as well as he did during his first season in the NFL.
Schefter: Everything that we have seen has RGIII looking as good as he was during his rookie year.
— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) August 23, 2016
Obviously, it’s a small sample size, but the 26-year-old has shown plenty of promise this preseason. In two preseason games with the Browns, Griffin has completed 10-of-16 pass attempts for 163 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception for a 110.2 rating. While it may not have been against the opponents’ top defense—with plenty of opposing starters deciding to sit out—his level of play has been refreshing for a player who did not take a snap a season ago.
For comparison’s sake, during his rookie season Griffin completed 258-of-393 passes for 3,200 yards, 20 touchdowns, and five interceptions, to go along with 120 carries for 815 yards and seven touchdowns.
Just two games this preseason is too small of a sample size to fully comprehend and predict what RG3 might do this season, but why not have a little fun and make some predictions, right?
The Browns are arguably the worst team in the NFL and may not have much of an offensive line, but with a receiving group that includes Corey Coleman and Terrelle Pryor Sr., to go along with Josh Gordon when he returns after his four-game suspension, this offense has nothing to lose.
Griffin may never be able to fully recover from his knee injuries and from not playing a single snap in 2015, but if he resembles just a little bit of his rookie self, he has the chance to be one of the most talented quarterbacks to don the Browns uniform since their return in 1999.
