Barring any issues that arise this week in practice, Robert Griffin III appears set to return as the Washington Redskins’ starting quarterback Sunday at Minnesota.
Griffin, who was limited in practice over each of the past two weeks, was able to complete a full practice for the first time on Wednesday and split time with Colt McCoy handling the first-team offense.
Coach Jay Gruden said he will want to see how Griffin progresses through practice over the next two days before making a decision on the quarterback’s availability Sunday at Minnesota.
“It’s all going to depend on how he does in practice [Thursday] and Friday and moving forward — how I feel like he’s coming back, really,” Gruden said. “From a physical standpoint, he looks good. Now it’s a matter of mental and getting back into the football part of it. If he looks good from that regard, there’s a chance he could play, and if not, if he needs another week, he’ll take another week.”
Citing sources, ESPN and NBC4 Washington reported Griffin will indeed make his first start in seven weeks on Sunday. Griffin completed a full practice Wednesday, marking the first time he’s been able to do so since injuring the ankle in the Redskins’ victory over Jacksonville on Sept. 14.
McCoy, who helped the Redskins to a 20-17 overtime victory at Dallas on Monday, did not dispute those reports during a Wednesday evening appearance on SiriusXM NFL Radio. He was asked about those reports and about serving as Griffin’s backup in the game against Minnesota.
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“I don’t think it will change my preparation,” McCoy said. “I’ll continue to prepare, and that’s my role, that’s my job. I’m thankful that I’ve been able to do my job up until this point, and I’ll continue to do that. I just — the most important thing for me and for our team is that we find a way to win. We’ve won two in a row now. We know what it feels like, what it tastes like, and we want to keep this thing rolling.”
Griffin, who was not permitted to speak to reporters by the team on Wednesday, was inactive for the Dallas game. The Redskins held practice later in the day on Wednesday and at a slower tempo in order to allow players additional time to recover during the shorter week.
“Last week was more of introducing him,” Gruden said. “This week was more about getting him more reps with the ones a little bit more and then seeing how he handles it. … Doctors will continue to monitor him through each drill, through each movement, and see how he’s doing, and then I’ll have to decide whether or not he’s ready from a mental quarterback standpoint.”
Gruden remains concerned about how well Griffin will be able to handle himself during a game. The quarterback has missed the Redskins’ last six games, and he played only the first five minutes of that game against Jacksonville in Week 2 before getting injured.
Griffin still has not shown he has been able to pick up the Redskins’ offense, and inserting him midway through the season will be a challenge for both he and the team.
“It’s the whole process of playing quarterback,” Gruden said. “It’s getting to the line of scrimmage. It’s calling the plays, calling the runs the right way. It’s dropping back, going through his progressions the right way. He’s taken [six] weeks off from having to do that in any live situation, and now he’s got to go through it and practice, and we’ll see where he is from a mental standpoint: If he remembers, if he’s retained the information. If I feel like he has, there’s a chance. If I feel like he needs another week just to get his feet wet, that might be the way to go, too.”
Free safety Ryan Clark and left tackle Trent Williams were the only players limited in practice Wednesday, with Clark still beset by a sprained ankle and torn biceps and Williams bothered by a dislocated right kneecap.
In addition to Griffin, outside linebackers Ryan Kerrigan and Trent Murphy, inside linebackers Perry Riley and Keenan Robinson and cornerback Tracy Porter were listed on the injury report but completed a full practice.
The Vikings listed three starters on their injury report, two of whom did not practice on Wednesday — defensive end Brian Robinson, who has a strained gluteal muscle, and tight end Kyle Rudolph, who is recovering from groin surgery. Defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd was limited in practice with unspecified ankle and knee injuries.
• Zac Boyer can be reached at zboyer@washingtontimes.com.
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