The never-ending soap opera starring the Washington Redskins and quarterback Robert Griffin III is back from its commercial break. This week, RGIII finds himself at the wrong end of a critic's take once again, with locker room support for the talented yet embattled quarterback rumored to be at an all-time low. Tune in!
"Before being elected to the Hall of Fame last week, Tim Brown revealed another area in which Griffin must make major changes, telling ESPN 980 that the quarterback's poor social skills hamper his ability to lead," Jason Reid of the Washington Post wrote. "His fellow Heisman Trophy winner lacks the personality needed to build lasting bonds with teammates, and that's a problem for someone who plays the game's most important position. It has been since Griffin joined the Redskins."
Griffin may not always do his best to avoid the spotlight, but it's not as if he never praises or embraces his teammates. Yes, he could tweak his post-game approach after tough losses to shoulder a bit more blame. But his maturity and smarts were praised both in and out of the locker room his rookie year. Unfortunately, that doesn't appear to be the case any longer.
"Brown said publicly what some of Washington's coaches and players have shared with me privately: Griffin's aloofness has been an issue in the locker room," Reid wrote. "Combine that with Griffin's poor performance the past two seasons and a Super Bowl-sized ego that tripped him up after his magical rookie year, and it's clear Griffin isn't close to becoming the player the Redskins need him to be."
Griffin has a lot to work on from both a personal and on-field standpoint. That fact cannot be disputed. But it is curious that all of these locker room issues only emerge when Washington is recovering from a losing campaign. It's understandable how Griffin could rub a lot of people the wrong way. Yet some perspective should be kept when absorbing all of these negative reports.
If you play well, everything else typically falls by the wayside. Griffin's main problem isn't that he is distant or not a "guy's guy." It's that he hasn't played well in a while now. Fix that, and everything else will fall into place.
