Washington Redskins coach Jay Gruden on Wednesday made it official: Robert Griffin III is no longer the starting quarterback. Gruden stressed he hadn't given up on Griffin, but he wouldn't commit to Griffin being with the Redskins beyond next season.
News leaked Tuesday night Gruden would start veteran Colt McCoy over Griffin on Sunday, and the first-year head coach confirmed the decision on Wednesday.
"I'm not putting the blame all on Robert," Gruden said during a conference call, via ESPN. "It seems like that when you make a change like this at the quarterback position. Robert has done some good things at quarterback, but I just think he needs a little bit more time in this system with the verbiage and the plays to sit back, take a step back and learn, and when he gets back in there he'll be a lot more decisive, hopefully, and ready to roll.
"But right now, I just felt moving forward for Indianapolis that Colt would give us a better chance this week."
Griffin, now one full season removed from his ACL injury, hasn't looked like the same kind of player who won the 2012 Rookie of the Year. His footwork has been inconsistent, he's missed open receivers and he's held onto the ball too long - in just four starts, Griffin has been sacked 15 times.
In his last two starts, behind a shaky offensive line, Griffin hasn't effectively moved the offense and has only one touchdown.
Griffin isn't the only reason Washington is 3-8, and Gruden said as much. But Gruden also called it a "game-by-game" league and admitted he hopes the switch under center will give the rest of the team a spark.
Griffin is under contract for next season, and the Redskins have until May 3 to decide whether to extend him to a fifth season. While Gruden wouldn't commit to Griffin remaining a Redskin beyond next season, he did express hope the demotion would help Griffin get out of his rut.
"He's just got to have the confidence and swagger that made him who he is," said Gruden. "That comes with time."
