Shocker: Redskins Pick Up RG3’s $16 Million Option

Washington Redskins GM Scot McCloughan stated that the team will keep Robert Griffin III by picking up his fifth-year option.

RG3 will receive a little over $16 million in his final year of his contract, reported NFL.Com. The decision will afford Redskins management the opportunity to better evaluate whether the once heralded quarterback will play a role in the team’s future.

In Monday’s news conference, McCloughan emphasized that their decision “does not affect our draft process whatsoever.” The statement insinuates that come Thursday, NFL draft day, the Redskins may be open to picking a quarterback.

Washington, with the number-five pick in the draft, will have a shot at Baylor’s Bryce Petty, UCLA’s Brett Hundley, or Colorado State’s Garrett Grayson. One would assume that FSU’s Jameis Winston and Oregon’s Marcus Mariota will be snatched by the quarterback-needy Buccaneers or Titans but probably not by the Raiders whose rookie QB Derek Carr looked more comfortable behind center in 2014 than his first-year peers or by the Jaguars, who snatched their quarterback of the future in Blake Bortles in last year’s draft.

Griffin’s stock appears to have gone up in the last six months. In November after the Redskins struggled with a 3-8 record, the Redskins benched the Baylor superstar in favor of five-year veteran Colt McCoy, who had commanded an unimpressive 6-15 record with the Browns and 49ers before Washington picked him up.

SBNation went as far as comparing the often injured and ineffective RG3 with NFL failure Ryan Leaf. A November 26 article by Alex Mavez held, “Make no mistake: Griffin will be dealt this offseason. Both parties need a fresh start and there will be a quarterback-needy team willing to give the 24-year-old Griffin another chance.”