Robert Griffin III Redskins timeline: From the trade to the bench

Dec. 10, 2011: Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III wins the Heisman Trophy, receiving 405 first-place votes and 1,687 total points to hold off Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck and Alabama running back Trent Richardson.

March 10, 2012: The St. Louis Rams and Redskins announce a blockbuster trade, sending the No. 2 overall draft pick to Washington. In exchange, St. Louis received the No. 6 and No. 39 picks in 2012 and first-round picks in 2013 and 2014.

April 26, 2012: The Redskins draft Griffin with the No. 2 overall selection. “We want to develop him to be the face of the organization,” then-coach Mike Shanahan says. Exactly 100 picks later, Washington drafts Michigan State quarterback Kirk Cousins.

Sept. 9, 2012: Griffin completes 73.1 percent of his passes for 320 yards and two touchdowns and runs nine times for 42 yards in a season-opening, 40-32 victory at New Orleans. He records a 139.9 passer rating, and his celebration after throwing what ends up being an 88-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Pierre Garçon — sitting on the turf, his arms and index fingers extended skyward — becomes an Internet fad known as “Griffining.”

Oct. 7, 2012: A concussion knocks Griffin out of a game against Atlanta in the third quarter, marking the first time in his professional career he’ll leave with an injury.

Oct. 14, 2012: The signature play of Griffin’s career unfolds in the fourth quarter of a game against Minnesota when the quarterback, on a designed run, takes off down the left sideline and runs 76 yards for a touchdown. “Still on his feet, RGIII is going to out-race everybody!” Fox commentator Dick Stockton yells.

Dec. 9, 2012: Griffin sprains the LCL in his right knee in the fourth quarter of a game against Baltimore when he tries to gain additional yards on a scramble and is hit by nose tackle Haloti Ngata. Cousins enters in relief to help the Redskins to a 31-28 overtime victory and makes his first start a week later at Cleveland, throwing for 329 yards in a 38-21 victory.

Jan. 6, 2013: With the Redskins in the playoffs for the first time in four seasons, qualifying after a seven-game winning streak helped them claim the NFC East title, Griffin re-injures his right knee and plays hurt for much of the game. Seattle recovers from a 14-0 third-quarter deficit, and midway through the fourth quarter, Griffin’s right cleat gets caught in the grass, leaving him crumpled on the ground.

Jan. 9, 2013: James Andrews operates on Griffin’s right knee, repairing the LCL and reconstructing the ACL. He is expected to miss six to nine months.

Feb. 2, 2013: Griffin wins the Offensive Rookie of the Year award from The Associated Press after a season in which he set multiple team and league records. He finished the year having completed 65.6 percent of his passes for 3,200 yards, 20 touchdowns and five interceptions while running for 815 yards and seven touchdowns.

Feb. 19, 2013: Adidas, with whom Griffin has an endorsement contract, begins a marketing campaign around the quarterback, extending its “All In…” tagline with “…For Week 1.” After a furor erupts over the apparel company’s apparent disregard for Griffin’s long-term health, Griffin posts on Twitter, “Although my goal is to start Week 1, that doesn’t mean I will compromise my career to do so.”

April 15, 2013: The Redskins begin their offseason workout program, with on-field practices set to begin a month later. Griffin sits out the entire period, rehabilitating by himself on a side field with other injured players.

July 25, 2013: Griffin takes part in individual drills as training camp opens in Richmond. He gradually progresses to 7-on-7 and then 11-on-11, but is held out of playing in any of the Redskins’ four preseason games by Shanahan.

Aug. 29, 2013: Even though he said Andrews had cleared Griffin to play following an examination prior to the final preseason game at Tampa Bay, Shanahan said “there’s a couple concerns” and that a decision on Griffin’s availability for the season opener would be made the following Monday. Shanahan then relents, naming Griffin the starter for the game against Philadelphia.

Sept. 9, 2013: Eight months after undergoing surgery on his right knee, Griffin starts a nationally televised “Monday Night Football” game against Philadelphia. He does not appear to be the same player before the injury and is visibly lacking speed and confidence in his first live action since the playoff game against Seattle.

Dec. 11, 2013: With the Redskins on a five-game losing streak, Shanahan announces Griffin will be benched for the final three games in an attempt to keep him healthy for the offseason program. Cousins starts all three games, which the Redskins lose, as Griffin is inactive.

Dec. 30, 2013: Shanahan, offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan, quarterbacks coach Matt LaFleur and several other assistant coaches are fired, one day after the Redskins conclude the season with their eighth consecutive loss, a 20-6 road defeat at the hands of the New York Giants.

Jan. 9, 2014: A year to the day after Griffin’s surgery, Jay Gruden is hired as the team’s next coach. A former quarterback, Gruden fawns over Griffin’s potential. “I’m excited to coach him, and hopefully, he’s excited to play here,” Gruden says during his introductory press conference.

July 24, 2014: The Redskins open training camp in Richmond. Griffin, as opposed to the previous year, is fully healthy.

Sept. 14, 2014: Griffin dislocates his left ankle in the first quarter against the Jacksonville Jaguars, sidelining him for six weeks.

Nov. 2, 2014: Amidst a report that he has “alienated” himself in the locker room, Griffin returns to the field against the Minnesota Vikings, throwing a fourth-quarter interception in a 29-26 loss.

Nov. 17, 2014: Asked about Griffin’s performance in a 27-7 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Gruden offers a sharp public criticism of both his quarterback’s postgame comments and in-game mechanics. “It was not even close to being good enough to what we expect from that quarterback position,” Gruden says.

Nov. 26, 2014: Two days after watching Griffin throw for only 106 yards against the San Francisco 49ers, Gruden announces the quarterback will be benched Sunday, leaving Colt McCoy to start against the Indianapolis Colts.