For nearly three months, many Washington Redskins fans and observers have tried to pin down the answer to one fundamental question:
Who’s at fault for Robert Griffin III’s knee injury in the playoff game against the Seattle Seahawks?
It’s been a seemingly never ending topic of discussion, and just one of the subplots of the larger narrative that is Griffin’s overall recovery process this offseason. But throughout the intense debate, theory mongering, and reading between the lines, not many people have been able to come up with a definitive answer. The only consensus appears to be that, on some level, it’s a shared failure between Griffin, head coach Mike Shanahan and the team medical staff led by world-renowned orthopedist Dr. James Andrews.
Flash forward to this week, where Griffin sent a text message to ESPN anchor and fellow Baylor alum Trey Wingo with an update on his rehabilitation effort. The message contained what most would expect: Griffin’s cautious optimism that he can make it back in time for the 2013 season opener, and a wise concession that he won’t return to the field until he’s ready, whenever that may be.
But as has the usually been the case in this story, there was an interestingly worded quote to parse. In this case, it was Griffin referencing those who share culpability for what happened in the Seahawks game.
“I know where my responsibility is within the dilemma that led to me having surgery to repair my knee,” Griffin said, “and all parties involved know their responsibilities as well.”
There are those who have taken this quote as a thinly veiled shot at either Shanahan or the Redskins training staff. After all, Griffin was allowed to stay in the game even while it was clear that he was not one hundred percent. Granted, his desire to stay in the game played a huge part in that as well. But in hindsight, so it’s easy to see why there could still be some lingering bitterness on his end.
Regardless, even if Griffin were still upset, how likely is it that he’d intentionally take a public swipe at his head coach? As media savvy as he’s shown himself to be thus far, why would he create an additional firestorm amid what’s already a highly scrutinized recovery process? Even more so, if the message was such a clear statement against Shanahan, then why would a Redskins spokesperson forward a nearly identical text to local media a day later?
Sure, this message references people other than Griffin who may have been at fault, but it hardly sounds like a shot. If anything, it sounds more like an attempt to say that things have been smoothed over in the months since the season ended. Griffin and Shanahan have each said recently that they planned on speaking to one another about the issues regarding the Seattle game, among other matters. It’s safe to assume that those conversations have probably happened by now, and if that’s the case, all parties likely know where they stand moving forward.
With such a high profile recovery process like Griffin’s, every statement, quote and update will be heavily scrutinized. Whether it’s Dr. Andrews referring to Griffin as ‘superhuman‘, Shanahan’s comments about the quarterback’s style of play, or this recent episode, it’s clear that such messages will not be taken at face value.
And unfortunately for all parties, the mega-scrutiny won’t end until Griffin returns to the field and plays at a high level once again.