After three seasons as a backup quarterback with the Baltimore Ravens, Robert Griffin III could land with another team (or re-sign with the Ravens) for an eighth NFL season.
But if the former Heisman Trophy and NFL Rookie of the Year doesn’t continue his playing career, at least two networks are reportedly ready to welcome him into broadcasting. As first reported by Outkick, Griffin recently auditioned for both ESPN and Fox Sports, and both networks were impressed by his showing.
The New York Post‘s Andrew Marchand followed up with a report that network executives said Griffin’s audition was among the best they’d ever seen. As a result, ESPN and Fox are engaged in a bidding war for RGIII. According to Marchand, ESPN increased its offer to Griffin to overtake whatever interest Fox is showing.
Known as a dual-threat quarterback throughout his career, Griffin could also be a dual broadcasting threat, providing analysis for NFL and college football.
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ESPN obviously has more opportunities for Griffin, whether it’s game analysis, studio work, or appearances throughout network programming including SportsCenter, Get Up, and College Football Live. But Fox also offers multiple platforms in addition to game broadcasts and pre- and post-game coverage, such as First Things First, Undisputed, The Herd, and Speak For Yourself.
Griffin hasn’t drawn any reported interest from CBS, which has auditioned Alex Smith, Mark Sanchez (who has been offered an NFL analyst position with Fox, according to Marchand), and Joey Galloway for game analyst positions. But CBS doesn’t have to hire anyone to replace Rich Gannon on its roster of NFL game analysts and doesn’t offer as many college football opportunities, nor the studio platforms available at ESPN and Fox.
As shown in the video clip above, Griffin appeared on Bleacher Report’s NFL Draft show for analysis and caused a stir with comments about former teammate Kirk Cousins in regards to the Minnesota Vikings selecting Texas A&M quarterback Kellen Mond in the third round. But RGIII showed promise, not just with his smooth delivery on camera but his willingness to be critical of current players.
Griffin, 31, appeared in four games (starting one) last season for the Ravens. He completed 8-of-14 passes for 42 yards, no touchdowns, and two interceptions.
About Ian Casselberry
Ian is a writer, editor, and podcaster. You can find his work at Awful Announcing and The Comeback. He's written for Sports Illustrated, Yahoo Sports, MLive, Bleacher Report, and SB Nation.