Robert Griffin III last played in the NFL three years ago, but he clearly wants back in. After Aaron Rodgers was diagnosed with a torn Achilles’ tendon on Tuesday morning, Griffin appeared on Get Up! and made the case for himself to be the next quarterback of the New York Jets.
“Some of these guys like Cam Newton, Colin Kaepernick, myself, it’s not that we can’t play the game anymore,” Griffin explained. “It’s that we’re a big distraction if you bring us in.”
Robert Griffin III believes he could step in for the Jets at QB, if only his presence wasn’t such a big distraction pic.twitter.com/1HH1RnsG2L
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) September 12, 2023
Griffin did conclude his point by arguing that backup Zach Wilson is the only real option for the Jets. Wilson has started 22 games for New York and is already more comfortable than someone in street clothes (or an ESPN suit).
Still, it’s remarkable how efficiently Griffin transitioned from a breakdown of the biggest NFL news of the day to a quick promo for his own abilities. Jets’ general manager Joe Douglas may or may not watch ESPN’s morning programming, but Griffin laid the foundation well in that two-minute bite.
Griffin did flash excellence in the NFL. He won Rookie of the Year from the loaded 2012 draft class and led Washington to the playoffs.
But Griffin hasn’t started more than one game in a season in seven years. He has had more interceptions than touchdowns every season since 2013. And like Newton and Kaepernick, he is well into his 30s. Maybe those three also bring media attention because of their fame, but the main reason the Jets probably won’t be calling is their declining football ability.
Get Up! was in shambles on Tuesday as host Mike Greenberg struggled to talk about his Jets facing doomsday again. And former athletes and coaches using ESPN to soft launch their next job is nothing new, but Griffin came out of nowhere with this one.
[Get Up!]
