First, the good news: Robert Griffin III's dislocated left ankle does not require surgery.
Now, the bad news: Griffin is still expected to miss a significant portion of the season. More importantly, this is the second major leg injury for RGIII since the Washington Redskins drafted him in 2012, and his third since college. The perception of RGIII has now shifted from über-talented franchise savior to injury-prone QB.
After Kirk Cousins tore it up against the Jacksonville Jaguars (22-33 for 250 yards and two touchdowns) while filling in for the injured Griffin, the door has been opened for a full-blown quarterback controversy in Washington. If Cousins continues to play well, some think it's possible that Griffin could be dangled in trades.
Mark Maske of The Washington Post wrote about the Redskins quarterback situation going forward on Tuesday.
"As those in and around the sport view the Griffin-Cousins dynamic from afar, they see Griffin as a still-gifted but injury-plagued quarterback whose ability to stay in the lineup now must be seriously questioned by the Redskins - or any other team that ultimately might try to obtain him," Maske wrote.
"The unsettled situation in Washington has created the possibility that Griffin may be most valuable to the franchise as a trade asset. And if the Redskins eventually decide to keep Cousins and consider offers to part with Griffin, sources in and around the league say there certainly will be teams interested and willing to surrender something of value for him."
Both signal callers are under contract through the 2015 season, and the Skins have a team option on Griffin for 2016. No moves are imminent.
While giving up on Griffin - whom the Redskins traded three first-round picks and a second-round pick to acquire - after one stellar season and two forgettable years may not be the most prudent move, the possibility still looms large depending on how Cousins plays as the starter.
Some media members, such as ESPN's Matthew Berry and Louis Riddick, have said that there are a lot of people in the Redskins' organization who think Kirk Cousins is a better fit for Jay Gruden's offense. If that is the case and Cousins does perform well, it will be interesting to see what kind of deals quarterback-needy teams (St. Louis Rams and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, anyone?) would be willing to offer.
Let's not count Griffin out just yet. He still has more natural talent than all but a few players in the league, and could very well have a bright future in D.C. But the trade rumors will continue to mount with each good game Cousins can have.
