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Given his recent workout with the team, Robert Griffin III, the former Washington Redskins and Cleveland Browns quarterback, has a shot at returning to the NFL as a Los Angeles Charger. While many may consider RGIII one of the biggest NFL Draft busts in recent years, the Chargers would actually be smart to sign him. Here’s why.
The Chargers current quarterback, Philip Rivers, will be entering his 14th season. It would be a good move to pick up a go-to man once Rivers retires or potentially leaves for another team. RGIII is still better than a number of starting quarterbacks in the NFL, and Rivers will be 36 by the time this season ends, while RGIII recently turned 27.
Sure, they just acquired Cardale Jones. But Jones is not a legitimate go-to QB as a backup. He has only attempted 11 passes in his NFL career, and his statistics during Ohio State’s championship run in January of 2015 were not great whatsoever, especially given the praise he got for that title. He probably wouldn’t even be the Browns’ starter.
It would also help the Chargers to shake things up a bit. They recently fired head coach Mike McCoy and replaced him with Anthony Lynn, so they should not let up now. Rivers has put up monster numbers in his career and is currently 8th in career passing touchdowns. Yet with the Chargers, things have never seemed to work out with him running the show. He has not led the team to a season with double-digit victories since 2009, and the farthest he has taken them is the AFC conference championship game back in the 2007 season.
This is a team that needs to rebuild. Rivers had his biggest season since 2008 from a touchdown standpoint last season, and the Chargers still won only five games. The more change the better at this point for this ailing team. Even one or two years behind Rivers could play to RGIII’s advantage and help the Chargers maximize the efficiency of a change like this.
Here’s why RGIII is the man to sign above everyone else. It’s not like they’d be signing Mark Sanchez, who you know would throw tons of interceptions. RGIII was the Offensive Rookie of the Year just five seasons ago before he had his first major injury in the playoff loss against the Seattle Seahawks. The whole “league has caught onto running quarterbacks” is a load of garbage.
Explain Russell Wilson winning back-to-back NFC title games (and a Super Bowl) and Cam Newton winning one of his own the following season. Running quarterbacks add something that other quarterbacks don’t. If healthy, which is more than likely the case right now seeing as how the Chargers are giving him this chance, RGIII can add something the Chargers have not ever seen in a quarterback.
In addition to helping the team, it would also help Philip Rivers himself. Rivers is arguably one of the greatest quarterbacks of all-time without a Super Bowl ring, as illustrated by the fact that he is 8th all-time in passer rating and the fact that only one quarterback ahead of him has never won a title. Rivers really should be considering leaving the Chargers to go to a Super Bowl contender so that he can have a shot at completing his career with a ring, and soon. But it doesn’t have to be right away. The team could give RGIII some time behind Rivers to actually develop into a franchise quarterback as opposed to a one-year wonder like he was with the ‘Skins.
The window on RGIII’s career is certainly not closed, but it may take Philip Rivers and the Chargers to help keep it open.
-Asher Fair
SportsPress 