Washington Redskins general manager Scot McCloughan walked up to the podium Monday at Redskins Park and kicked the elephant in the room out.
Before taking any questions, McCloughan announced that the Redskins will pick up the fifth-year team option on polarizing quarterback Robert Griffin III, keeping him with the team through 2016. The option is fully guaranteed and will count $16.5 million against the salary cap in 2016.
McCloughan said the decision to pick up Griffin’s option had been made “a while back,” but was only communicated to the 25-year-old and his agent Monday morning. The team has until May 3 to formally exercise the option and plans to file paperwork with the league office after the draft.
“He’s a good football player. He’s got good tape out there,” McCloughan said of Griffin. “Everybody knows what he did in [2012] when he was offensive rookie of the year. Full offseason, second year in the system, but being healthy and being able to go through the offseason, I’m really excited looking forward with all three quarterbacks as Phase 2 gets going on the field and I start watching them move around and start making plays.”
Griffin is now the only Redskins quarterback under contract beyond the upcoming season. Kirk Cousins and Colt McCoy, who re-signed this winter, each have one year left on their current deals.
McCloughan said the decision to exercise Griffin’s option will not change how the team approaches the upcoming draft, which begins Thursday night. The Redskins hold the No. 5 pick.
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“It does not affect our draft process whatsoever. Like I said, if we get to the fifth pick and the best player’s a quarterback, we’re taking a quarterback,” McCloughan said. “We like the three we have, but again, we’re not going to pass on a good football player. There’s no reason to.”
Griffin is entering the final season of the four-year, $21.1 million contract he signed after being drafted second overall in the 2012 draft. He is due to make a base salary of $3.27 million in 2015.
After leading the Redskins to the playoffs as a rookie, Griffin has had a tumultuous and injury-plagued tenure in Washington. He had surgery to repair the ACL and LCL in his right knee prior to his second season, then underperformed in 13 starts and was benched for the final three games of the season.
In 2014, Griffin missed six weeks with a dislocated left ankle. Upon his return, he started three games before being benched in favor of McCoy. An injury to McCoy in Week 15 propelled Griffin back to the lineup, and he started the final two games of the season.
“I think Robert has a good understanding of our system, what we want, and I think I have a good understanding of what he is as a quarterback,” coach Jay Gruden said at the NFL Owners meetings in Phoenix last month. “He’s a quarterback still in the developmental stages. He missed some time last year unfortunately with his injury, which halted his progress a little bit, but moving forward I have a good understanding for what he needs, he has a good understanding for what we’re looking for. Hopefully moving forward he’ll be a more confident, decisive quarterback, and I’ll have a better understanding of what he’s comfortable with and give him opportunities to succeed.”
• Tom Schad can be reached at tschad@washingtontimes.com.
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