Washington quarterback Robert Griffin III suffered a concussion during a preseason game against the Detroit Lions.
Robert Griffin III, who recently proclaimed that he's the best quarterback in the NFL, must overcome another obstacle to prove it.
The Washington quarterback suffered a concussion Thursday night in a home preseason game against the Detroit Lions, the Washington Post reported. In the second quarter, Griffin dove trying to recover his own fumble and got hit by Lions defensive end Corey Wootton. Griffin also injured his shoulder.
Griffin lay on the ground for several minutes before exiting the game. He completed just two of five passes for eight yards and got sacked three times for a total loss of 17 yards as his protection faltered.
Washington Coach Jay Gruden was criticized for keeping the key player on the field for a fourth offensive series in a meaningless game.
"Leaving Griffin in that game was borderline criminal," For The Win wrote. "He needs the reps, sure, but at what cost?"
"We felt confident in our tackle and our offensive line to try and get something going there with the fourth drive," Gruden told ESPN. "Unfortunately, it didn't happen."
This is some of the punishment Griffin absorbed before the concussion:
Griffin's head injury comes on the heels of an in-depth ESPN The Magazine interview with ex-49ers linebacker Chris Borland, in which he called football "kind of dehumanizing." Borland retired after one stellar season for fear of long-term cognitive problems from concussions. Borland estimated he sustained 30 concussions in his career, telling ESPN, "If there were no possibility of brain damage, I'd still be playing."
Griffin may have also sustained injury to his ego after being mocked on social media for calling himself the best quarterback in the NFL earlier this week. Major injuries and spotty performances have stunted his progress as Washington seeks to rebound from winning just seven games over two seasons.
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