Albert Breer: How Dan Snyder ruined Robert Griffin III originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
Robert Griffin III appeared destined for stardom 10 years ago during his inaugural NFL season. The No. 2 overall draft pick out of Baylor earned Offensive Rookie of the Year honors as a true dual-threat quarterback for Washington.
It was all downhill from there.
Injuries, including a torn ACL in 2013, derailed Griffin’s once-promising NFL career. However, it appears they weren’t the only contributors to Griffin’s downfall.
Appearing Thursday on 98.5 The Sports Hub’s Zolak & Bertrand, Albert Breer of The MMQB explained how Washington Commanders owner Dan Snyder “ruined” Griffin.
“Griffin and his family had direct access to the owner,” Breer told hosts Scott Zolak and Marc Bertrand. “So he had direct access to ownership and it was what created that whole issue in the first place. Kyle Shanahan and Mike Shanahan put together the Baylor offense basically for Robert Griffin. And you guys remember how great that was the first year, right?
“So 11, 12 games in, Griffin gets banged up. And so, he’s going to have to miss the next game against Cleveland. So then Kirk Cousins, who’s also a rookie, goes in. They go from running that offense to running the conventional Shanahan offense with Kirk Cousins, and Kirk Cousins throws for 330 yards.
“On that Monday morning, Robert Griffin II (Griffin’s father) calls Mike Shanahan and says, ‘Why aren’t you running that offense for my son? That’s the type of quarterback he is, he should be running that offense.’ Mike Shanahan responds to him, ‘Robert, your son’s three years away from being able to run that offense.'”
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Griffin was never the same after that stellar rookie year. Washington went 3-10 in his second year (2013), which would end up being his final full season as a starting QB. He eventually was released during the 2016 offseason.
Breer says Snyder “coddling” Griffin and his family had a ripple effect that ultimately caused the franchise to crumble.
“It was like, all of this access because the owner coddled him, and I think Robert Griffin’s career was ruined by that,” Breer added. “If the owner had just sort of empowered the coach and said, ‘You listen to the coach, you let him bring you along, and let the coach set the tone,’ maybe Robert Griffin wouldn’t have fallen off a cliff the way he did.
“But because he had access to the owner and was showing up at Wizards games with the owner, it created this messed up situation that wound up I think driving one of the best coaches of the last 30 years, Mike Shanahan, out of there. And out the door with him went Kyle Shanahan, went Matt LaFleur. So that’s why they are where they are.”
Today, Kyle Shanahan and LaFleur are the head coaches of the San Francisco 49ers and Green Bay Packers, respectively. Sean McVay also was on Shanahan’s coaching staff in Washington and is the current head coach of the Los Angeles Rams. Griffin has moved on to a career with ESPN as an NFL analyst.
Meanwhile, Snyder and the Washington NFL franchise continue to make headlines for all the wrong reasons both on and off the field. Snyder’s ownership of the team has been under scrutiny with accusations of a toxic workplace environment. On Thursday, ESPN reported that Snyder claims to have “dirt” on fellow team owners as well as NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.
As for Washington’s issues on the field, the Commanders are 14-19 since Griffin’s departure. The franchise’s most recent playoff victory was a Wild Card win in Jan. 2006.