Robert Griffin III said Monday he was cleared by doctors to practice, meeting his stated goal in May minicamp to be ready for training camp by returning from his second ACL surgery to rejoin the Washington Redskins.
Griffin announced via Twitter at 11 a.m. ET: “Doctors cleared me to practice. Coach is going to ease me in. Thank you for your support & See you in Richmond.”
Coach Mike Shanahan said he would evaluate Griffin’s health with regular and ongoing input from the Redskins’ medical staff, which includes renowned surgeon Dr. James Andrews. Shanahan, criticized for allowing Griffin to play in the postseason loss to the Seattle Seahawks despite his obvious limitations while dealing with an injured knee, wouldn’t commit to a schedule for Griffin or discuss what would be involved in making decisions about the quarterback’s availability.
Griffin is driven to be on the field when the regular season begins to the point that he changed account passwords as an ever-present reminder of the Sept. 9 “Monday Night Football” game against the Philadelphia Eagles. Griffin said he was using past experience and getting input from other athletes to restore strength in his reconstructed knee. He came back from a previous ACL surgery to win the Heisman Trophy as a junior at Baylor.
Andrews performed the latest knee surgery in January. RG3’s father, Robert Griffin Jr., said in May that he hoped the offense would be adjusted to keep RG3 in the pocket with more passing. Griffin Jr. said he would temper the number of hits he takes — ideally reducing his risk of injury — as a ballcarrier. He called for coaches to create “a united community.”
The exciting quarterback set rookie records for passer rating (102.4) and rushing yards (815) by a quarterback in 2012, when he averaged 6.8 yards per carry with seven touchdowns.
Shanahan said any evolution of the offense or significant adjustments aren’t planned and would most likely be based on what they see from opposing defenses in 2013. Shanahan and Griffin III have talked about the pace of the quarterback’s rehab, and how “limited” Griffin would be in training camp.