Griffin, in one of his rare ambulatory moments last season. Photograph by Flickr user Keith Allison.
Washington’s quarterback controversy will continue through the 2016 NFL season with Dan Snyder’s brain trust picking up a fifth-year option on Robert Griffin, III worth $16.2 million. The decision, which was first reported by NFL.com and confirmed Monday by general manager Scot McCloughan, could mean at least two more years of the team placing its fate in the hands of a passer whose every step induces panic over the ligaments in his knees.
Griffin, who is going into his fourth season, only played nine games last year, and just seven of those as the starter. Despite two disappointing seasons in a row, Griffin hasn’t lost his messianic lock on the starting job—head coach Jay Grudensaid in February that Griffin will start again when Washington opens its 2015 season on September 13 against the Miami Dolphins.
The drama could be amped up further this week during the NFL Draft if Washington, which has a first-round pick for the first time since the 2012 trade that landed Griffin, selects another quarterback.
Griffin has mostly stayed out of the public eye since the end of the 2014 season, although he surfaced in Sunday’s Washington Post to offer a dopey slogan for the upcoming campaign: “Talk small, play big.” Even if he doesn’t play big, Griffin, who is scheduled to earn $3.27 million in base salary this year, is set up to get paid in 2016. The $16.2 million option for next year is guaranteed against injuries, meaning that if Griffin finishes the 2015 season in good health, the team can walk away. But if he gets hurt—again—Snyder will be on the hook for the money.
Benjamin Freed joined Washingtonian in August 2013 and covers politics, business, and media. He was previously the editor of DCist and has also written for Washington City Paper, the New York Times, the New Republic, Slate, and BuzzFeed. He lives in Adams Morgan.
Redskins Guarantee Fans at Least Two More Years of Quarterback Drama
Robert Griffin, III will be here through at least 2016.
Washington’s quarterback controversy will continue through the 2016 NFL season with Dan Snyder’s brain trust picking up a fifth-year option on Robert Griffin, III worth $16.2 million. The decision, which was first reported by NFL.com and confirmed Monday by general manager Scot McCloughan, could mean at least two more years of the team placing its fate in the hands of a passer whose every step induces panic over the ligaments in his knees.
Griffin, who is going into his fourth season, only played nine games last year, and just seven of those as the starter. Despite two disappointing seasons in a row, Griffin hasn’t lost his messianic lock on the starting job—head coach Jay Gruden said in February that Griffin will start again when Washington opens its 2015 season on September 13 against the Miami Dolphins.
The drama could be amped up further this week during the NFL Draft if Washington, which has a first-round pick for the first time since the 2012 trade that landed Griffin, selects another quarterback.
Griffin has mostly stayed out of the public eye since the end of the 2014 season, although he surfaced in Sunday’s Washington Post to offer a dopey slogan for the upcoming campaign: “Talk small, play big.” Even if he doesn’t play big, Griffin, who is scheduled to earn $3.27 million in base salary this year, is set up to get paid in 2016. The $16.2 million option for next year is guaranteed against injuries, meaning that if Griffin finishes the 2015 season in good health, the team can walk away. But if he gets hurt—again—Snyder will be on the hook for the money.
Benjamin Freed joined Washingtonian in August 2013 and covers politics, business, and media. He was previously the editor of DCist and has also written for Washington City Paper, the New York Times, the New Republic, Slate, and BuzzFeed. He lives in Adams Morgan.
Most Popular in News & Politics
The Missing Men of Mount Pleasant
Another Mysterious Anti-Trump Statue Has Appeared on the National Mall
Yet Another Anti-Trump Statue Has Shown Up on the National Mall
8 Takeaways From Usha Vance’s Interview With Meghan McCain
Every Bus Line in DC Is Changing This Weekend. Here’s What to Know.
Washingtonian Magazine
July Issue: The "Best Of" Issue
View IssueSubscribe
Follow Us on Social
Follow Us on Social
Related
Your Story About How Pickleball Changed Your Life Could Get You a Game on the National Mall
How Would a New DC Stadium Compare to the Last One?
The Culture of Lacrosse Is More Complex Than People Think
Did Television Begin in Dupont Circle?
More from News & Politics
Trump Threatens DC Takeover, Says He’d Run the City “So Good”; Supreme Court OKs Mass Federal Worker Layoffs; and You Should Go Pick Some Sunflowers
Trump Pledges Support for RFK Stadium Plan, Ben’s Chili Bowl Will Strand Us Half-Smokeless for Months, and Pediatricians Are Suing RFK Jr.
Muriel Bowser Defends Her BLM Plaza Decision and Looks Back on a Decade as Mayor
Elon Musk Starts What Is Likely the First Party of His Life, Nationals Fire Longtime Management Team, and Washingtonians Got Carried Away With the Fireworks
Speaker Johnson’s Megabill Prayers Likely to Be Answered Before Holiday Weekend, Wrongly Deported Maryland Man Faced Abuse in El Salvador Prison, and We Found Some Yummy Nepalese Food
Pardoned J6er Will Join Ed Martin’s Justice Department Office, Trump Outlines Hypothetical Alligator Escape Plan, and We Have Fireworks Show Recommendations
The “World’s Largest Outdoor Museum” Is Coming to DC. Here’s a Preview.
A Cult Classic of Cannabis Brands Is Making Its DC Debut