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Robert Griffin III may be known to new NFL fans as a football analyst, but recently he shook off the cobwebs and ran a blistering 40-yard dash. Participating in the "Run Rich Run" charity event during the NFL draft, he posted a remarkable time of 4.48 seconds. To put that into perspective, it was 0.07 seconds faster than what he ran in his own NFL Combine performance.
Since then, he has been contacted by several NFL teams, who will be hoping he is back to his mobile best. He has been open about wanting to play again if the opportunity arises. The Dallas Cowboys, Atlanta Falcons and Chicago Bears are his franchises of choice. He already has a get-out clause in his analyst contract which allows him to leave should a professional football team come calling.
But all of this begs the question, why is he out of the game? The answer to that lies in various injuries during his career.
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Injuries forced Robert Griffin III out of the league
Griffin III was chosen by the Washington franchise in 2012 as the second overall pick of the draft. He made his name in college as a dual-threat quarterback and did not disappoint in his first season.
In his rookie year, he won the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. He led the now Washington Commanders into the postseason and contributed to 27 regular touchdowns in the regular season. His 7 rushing touchdowns led the league.
But issues were bubbling under the surface as he had to miss the Pro Bowl with ACL and LCL injuries to his right knee. After surgery, he did not play in the preseason and in 2013 failed to replicate his rookie season form. In the final three games of the season, he was benched to avoid further injuries.
In 2014, he missed seven weeks due to a dislocated ankle sustained in Week 2. In 2015, he suffered a nasty concussion during the preseason. After such a glut of injuries, he slipped to third on the depth chart and Griffin III left Washington at the end of the season.
In 2016, after being named the starting quarterback with the Cleveland Browns, he dislocated his shoulder in the opening game. He only returned in Week 14 but was let go at the end of the season. Griffin III remained a free agent throughout 2017.
Returning as a backup in 2018 with the Baltimore Ravens, he finally got a chance to start in 2019 against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Unfortunately, he tweaked his left hamstring during that game.
With so many injuries on his record, especially for a quarterback whose threat was his mobility, teams did not want to take the risk of signing him. When this became apparent, he gave up the field for the booth.
But his recent 40-yard dash might once again convince the team that he is back to his best shape and ready to contribute again. If Griffin III can prove himself and stay fit, we really might see him again in the NFL.
