Griffin III Demoted to Third-String Ahead of Home Opener

It appears RG3 has become RG3rd string. Only some 24 hours before the Washington Redskins’ season opener at home against the Miami Dolphins, head coach Jay Gruden has finally resolved the backup quarterback dilemma, listing Colt McCoy as next in line behind Kirk Cousins.

The announcement is just another setback in the offseason from hell for RGIII, who must now face a virtually impossible climb from the cellar of the depth chart if he has any hope of playing a meaningful snap in a Redskin uniform ever again.   

Griffin was cleared of a concussion on Friday, but Gruden remained tight-lipped on whether the former number two overall pick would even be active this Sunday.

The serviceable Cousins has had the starting role locked down since halfway through the preseason, leaving many to wonder just how badly RGIII has regressed since last taking the field.

That the franchise opted to pick up Griffin’s fifth-year option only to bury him in the depth chart brings further suspicion to the claim that it is only owner Dan Snyder who is determined to keep his expensive – and, to date, valueless – investment on the team.

Where Snyder parted with a king’s ransom to snag Griffin in the 2012 draft, the Washington coaching staff share no such affinity for a quarterback who has consistently failed to show improvement – or even just stay healthy – over his first three seasons.

If RGIII can’t salvage some of the magic of his rookie campaign in 2015, Snyder may well have no choice but to swallow a monumental sunk cost and release Griffin next offseason, confirming yet another colossal on-field failure from a once-proud franchise.