What's next for Robert Griffin III after Redskins?

Jordan Heck

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What's next for Robert Griffin III after Redskins? image

Robert Griffin III was inactive in Washington's playoff loss to the Packers on Sunday, and he knew what was coming next.

The former No. 2 overall draft pick will be released by the team, according to NFL Media. The report states it was "important to owner Dan Snyder [that Griffin] be on the team all year." That's pretty clear, considering Griffin was nothing more than a glorified practice squad player.

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This season was a few years in the making. Griffin had an incredible 2012 season when he finished with a 20:5 touchdown to interception ratio, 3,200 passing yards, 815 rushing yards and seven scores on the ground.

But Griffin tore his ACL and LCL in a playoff loss to the Seahawks, which required offseason surgery. He started the first game of the next season, and some wonder if he was rushed back too soon. He played decently in 2013 but butted heads with coach Mike Shanahan, and had an injured-plagued 2014 as Kirk Cousins overtook him in new coach Jay Gruden's eyes. 

On Monday, he showed up to clean out his locker for the last time. 

It makes sense for Washington to part ways with him. He's set to make more than $16 million next season, and there's no point to keep him if he won't play. Washington also doesn't need a quarterback since Cousins played so well in 2015.

So what's next for Griffin in his post-Washington life? The obvious answer is Dallas. The Texas native's family members were wearing Cowboys gear in Week 17 and Yahoo reported last week that Griffin would "love" to play for the Cowboys.

While Dallas seems like the frontrunner, there will surely be other teams interested in Griffin's services. He's still a 25-year-old quarterback with promise. Teams like Houston or Cleveland could make a move for Griffin. 

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"He's going to get a second chance and he should get one," former WR Santana Moss said to ESPN Sunday. "One thing this league has shown, numerous times, is that guys will get second chances. Whether you messed up off the field or you just weren't what the coaches wanted, you can get your career going again. That's proven.

"That first year, man, Robert was a rock star. Then different things happened. But he can take all those things, learn from them and get better. If Robert is like any of the best people in the history of this game, then he'll use it all as motivation. But you look at a lot of these quarterbacks out there, and you mean to tell me Robert ain't gonna get another chance?"

Griffin's 2016 season will be one of intrigue, assuming he lands somewhere. He's healthy and refreshed after a year off, and will look to prove Washington wrong.

Jordan Heck

Jordan Heck Photo

Jordan Heck is a Social Media Producer at Sporting News. Before working here, he was a Digital Content Producer at The Indianapolis Star. He graduated with a degree from Indiana University.