Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III announced he's been medically cleared to play in Week 1, although coach Mike Shanahan gave a noncommittal answer when asked. Shanahan said he and Griffin need to talk first about several concerns the doctor has with Griffin's knee, ESPN reports.
*UPDATE (2:05 PM): Andrews is concerned about how Griffin will be used in the Redskins' offense, according to ESPN.
Dr. James Andrews, the team doctor and renowned surgeon who operated on Griffin, examined the quarterback's knee before Thursday's preseason game in Tampa Bay. Judging from Griffin's tweet after the game, Andrews gave him positive news.
Despite being medically cleared, Shanahan wouldn't say whether Griffin would start in the season opener against the Philadelphia Eagles.
"I did talk to Dr. Andrews," Shanahan said, via ESPN. "He's going to approve Robert can play. There are a couple concerns that he has. I'll talk to Robert over the weekend and I'll let [the media] know on Monday where we're at."
It's uncertain what the concerns are and whether they're serious. Griffin has been in headlines all summer, largely due to his rapid recovery from ACL surgery in January. His long-stated goal has been to start in Week 1, but recent back-and-forths with Shanahan have begun to cast doubt on whether he'll be ready for the opener.
Griffin, Shanahan and Andrews have at times appeared to be at odds since Griffin's first knee injury against the Baltimore Ravens, when it became unclear as to whether Andrews cleared Griffin to return to the game. Shanahan said he thought Andrews did, but Andrews initially said he never even examined Griffin.
While Griffin is anxious to get back onto the field, Shanahan has been cautious with his franchise player - only last week did Griffin begin practicing in 11-on-11s against the starting defense.
Sept. 9 is just over a week away. There's been no definitive answer as to whether Griffin will play, which puts his status in doubt as opening day approaches. Shanahan likely will have an answer by Tuesday or Wednesday at the latest, in order to begin prepping whichever quarterback is to start against Philadelphia.
