Jay Gruden said Tuesday that quarterback Robert Griffin III is “very, very, very close” to being able to return from a dislocated left ankle.
Griffin was inactive for the Washington Redskins’ victory at Dallas on Monday following a week in which he was able to work back into team drills.
It’s possible, then, that Griffin may be able to play in the Redskins’ next game, which is at Minnesota on Sunday.
“Thursday, we’ll get some really good work, and Friday, we’ll get some really good work, and we’ll make the decision,” said Gruden, the Redskins’ coach. “Physically, I think, he’ll be ready to go. Doctors are feeling pretty good about it. They still want to see him run around this week until they make their final determination as far as clearing him, but they just want to make sure he feels good in the pocket moving forward with everything.”
Griffin has not played since injuring the ankle on Sept. 14 in a victory over Jacksonville. He was replaced by Kirk Cousins, and Cousins started the next five games until Gruden replaced him with Colt McCoy at the start of the third quarter in an eventual victory over Tennessee on Oct. 19.
McCoy then got the start Monday at Dallas, and he completed 25 of 30 passes for 299 yards with an interception and a 7-yard rushing touchdown in the Redskins’ 20-17 overtime victory.
“I like the way he competed, No. 1,” Gruden said. “He wasn’t perfect by any stretch, but he competed his butt off, made some huge throws, some good scrambles. You know, a great quarterback draw for a touchdown. He dove in there. Just a great competitor. You love to have that competitive spirit at your quarterback position. You never really quite know until you see him out there with the lights on and under pressure, so I just love his competitive spirit and how he handled the pressure.”
When Griffin returns — either for the Minnesota game, or, following a bye week, for the Redskins’ game against Tampa Bay on Nov. 16 — Gruden will have a difficult decision to make.
Does he stick with McCoy as Griffin’s backup, or does he turn back to Cousins, who, like Griffin, is only in his third season and has only played in 14 games and made nine starts?
“That’s a good question,” Gruden said. “We’d love to dress three quarterbacks. They’re all worthy of playing, man, and I’ve said this before — Kirk did some good things, man, and I think his career is still gonna be very good in the NFL. It’s just that Colt has shown — you’ve seen what Colt does. He’s done that every day at practice that he’s been out here. You see that he’s a viable option also, so when you’re struggling with the turnovers and the third-down percentage, I thought that Colt had earned a right to have a crack at it, and he proved that he can do it.
“If Robert comes back [this week], then we’ll have to make a decision on a second quarterback, whoever that is, or dress all three of them, and that will be determined when Robert comes back.”
Then, clearly conflicted, Gruden sighed.
“I didn’t really answer that question,” he said.
• Zac Boyer can be reached at zboyer@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.