Green Bay Packers: Robert Griffin III should get a call

The Green Bay Packers 2018 season proved that they need a veteran quarterback behind Aaron Rodgers. Robert Griffin III isn’t only an intriguing option, he seems like the smart one.

The Green Bay Packers are desperate for a veteran quarterback for the 2018 season. Robert Griffin III is (probably) desperate for a home in 2018. Right there’s a pretty good reason for the two to give it a try right? I can hear you know, though. If Griffin III is so desperate, why should the Packers give him a chance?

To put it bluntly, his last few situations have been kind of garbage. First, he was given the shortest leash I’ve ever seen in Washington.

In 2012, RGIII won the NFL rookie of the year award. He led the Redskins to a 10-win season and their first NFC East title since 1999 (seriously). He accomplished this by completing 65.6 percent of his passes for a total of 3,200 yards in 15 games. At the same time, he threw 20 touchdowns compared to just five interceptions, and ran for 815 yards (6.8 yards per carry) and seven more scores.

Then came the playoffs, and the terrible decision to leave him in a game with a wobbly knee. This of course ended with him tearing his ACL. Miraculously, he was ready by the start of the 2013 season, though.

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His sophomore campaign wasn’t as great, but he was still solid. Griffin III threw for 3,203 yards and tossed 16 touchdown passes with 12 interceptions. His completion rate was down to 60.1 percent, but that still wasn’t dreadful. Meanwhile, he ran the ball for 489 yards (5.7 per carry).

The kicker? He only appeared in 13 games that season. Not because of injury though, the Redskins just straight up benched him. Now, Mike Shanahan claimed this was because he didn’t want Griffin III to get hurt, but no one was buying that. It was, simply put, a demotion.

Were his numbers in 2013 great? No. Were they good? Not exactly. They weren’t miserable however, and definitely weren’t worth benching the reigning ROTY over. (In fact, go back and watch some of his games for that season if you can. The quarterback did all he could to keep Washington in multiple games.) This was the beginning of a major downturn in Griffin III’s career. The Redskins clearly didn’t believe in him, and things got worse in 2014.

Appearing in nine games, RGIII actually posted a fantastic completion percentage (68.7) to go along with 1,694 yards. The problem was, in 214 pass attempts, he only had four touchdowns to go with six interceptions. His legs still weren’t the same after his ACL injury either.

2014 saw three different quarterbacks for Washington. None were spectacular, but none were particularly miserable. Someone brought some life to the Redskins though, and it was RGIII. Argue with me all you want, but the proof is in the tape.

Who had that stiff arm against the New York Giants on a solid scramble that got the team fired up? Robert Griffin III. Whose teammates got into an argument with the refs at halftime when they supposedly “didn’t have his back”? Robert Griffin III. What quarterback led his team to victory against a divisional opponent (Philadelphia Eagles) fighting for a playoff spot late in the season? I think you get it at this point.

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Let’s talk about his locker room history while we’re at it. Over the last few years of his tenure with the Redskins, there were multiple reports on people having problems with RGIII. These all came from my least favorite person, “anonymous source”. In that time, it’s hard to point out any animosity between him and his teammates. I’m sure not every relationship was perfect, but it clearly wasn’t as miserable as things were being reported.

At one point, Griffin III issued a challenge to his teammates on Twitter to give their “why”. Why they played football, lived how they did, and so on. Countless present and past teammates of his responded to the question. TV personalities (including the late, great Stuart Scott) and opponents chimed in as well.

Needless to say, this massive hatred towards the now 27-year old (28 on Feb. 12) didn’t seem to exist. How was Griffin III rewarded for playing around the same level as Washington’s other two quarterbacks in 2014? He didn’t see the field in 2015. In fact he rarely suited up.

2016 saw Griffin III get a chance, five games in fact. They weren’t with the Redskins, though. Now he was with the Cleveland Browns.

Do I really need to say much more about that? You’ve seen what that franchise has done to quarterbacks. He had Hue Jackson as a coach (1-31 over the last two season, how does he still have a job?) Meanwhile, the talent around him wasn’t pretty. Gary Barnidge and Terrelle Pryor broke out, but there wasn’t much to go to after them.

2017 came and went and Griffin III wasn’t even on an NFL roster. He’s got a few things going for him though, the main one being that he’s actually healthy. His situation is a major positive too. This would be his “second chance”. Not a lot of players get a third. He’ll be ready to prove he’s a solid locker room presence and still has plenty left on the field. That equals out to a good teammate.

With Rodgers at quarterback, Griffin III will go into the year knowing he won’t be the starter. Maybe that’s a good thing though. He can focus on improving, staying healthy, and staying in the right mindset. Behind Aaron Rodgers maybe he could learn a thing or two as well. Robert Griffin III should be a cheap, available option to the Packers. Finally healthy, he’s a threat with his legs and has a cannon for an arm. Time to clear his head might be just what he needed.

Meanwhile, the Green Bay Packers 2017 season is proof that they need a veteran quarterback behind Rodgers. With Brett Hundley at the helm, everything fell apart. While it wasn’t all the young quarterback’s fault, his 10 career pass attempts coming into the season wasn’t a great omen. What the Packers need is someone that, should Rodgers go down, has plenty of NFL experience.

Griffin III has been the star of a team and he’s led them to the playoffs. He’s had incredible ups, and incredible downs. He’s been injured, he’s been benched, and he’s taken over for a starter. Basically, he’s seen it all. No matter what is thrown at him, Griffin III won’t be new to it.

Next: 2018 NFL Mock Draft: Post-Super Bowl edition

In 2017, Hundley had two three-interception games. RGIII has never thrown three interceptions in an NFL game. Hundley had two sub-100-yard passing games with 20-or-more attempts. Griffin III has none of those in his career.

Is Robert Griffin III perfect? Not by a long shot. He’s battle-tested though, and given the right opportunity and the right coaching, could turn his career back around. Definitely not a bad backup plan should Rodgers go down once more.