Robert Griffin III Hits Rock Bottom, Spends 40 Minutes Punting A Football To Himself After Practice
After RGIII was benched before Week 13, many speculated that his days in Washington were numbered. Coach Jay Gruden has spent the better part of the last month distancing himself from the quarterback. He called him "coddled," ripped his mechanics, and said the clock was ticking to prove himself as a pro quarterback.
Last Thursday the Washington Post's Jason Reid reported that Gruden was finished with Griffin and wanted to trade him.
Two days later, Reid reported that a power struggled has now emerged between Gruden and owner Daniel Snyder and general manager Bruce Allen. Gruden could be fired if Snyder and Allen decide to give RGIII one last chance to start in the 2015 season, according to Reid.
While those rumors swirled, TMZ quoted an anonymous Redskins player who called Griffin "secluded," and said he had lost the locker room.
And then there's this, the saddest RGIII story of all. According to Mike Jones of the Washington Post, Griffin recently spent 40 minutes by himself on the practice field punting around a football (via Deadspin):
"Last Friday, after practice, he was on the field by himself for like 40 minutes, just punting the ball, and running after it, and punting the ball and running after it. The guy looks like he's lost, doesn't know what's going on, and so I did feel bad for him.
"He stayed there. This was outside, after everybody's in the locker room changing their clothes, getting ready to go, and he's just out there for like 40 minutes punting the ball, he's run after it, punt the ball."
RGIII is 24 years old. He's two years removed from being one of the most exciting players in the NFL. It's far too early to write off his career. But he clearly could use something to jumpstart things - whether that's a coaching change or a move to another city. He's too young to be at the aimlessly-kicking-around-a-football stage.