Once upon a time, Robert Griffin III — oftentimes referred to as RGIII — was a No. 1 overall draft pick. Now, as an analyst on ESPN, the idea of him returning to the NFL has come to the table — more specifically, the Chicago Bears.
Should the Chicago Bears entertain the idea of signing Robert Griffin III as a veteran quarterback?
On Tuesday’s Rich Eisen Show, Robert Griffin III expressed his desire to potentially come back to the NFL. According to Griffin, there has been a “plethora” of teams to reach out to him, however, three teams that he seemed most willing to accept included the Dallas Cowboys, Atlanta Falcons, and finally, the Chicago Bears.
"Going to Chicago with Justin FIelds to try to help as much as I possibly can in that quarterback room would also be a great situation. – Robert Griffin III on the Rich Eisen Show"
Now, when this news first broke, it was uncertain what type of role RGIII would want to join back as. Is Griffin clamoring for a shot to be a quarterback’s coach? Not very likely.
#RunRichRun for @StJude was once again a massive success and made real football headlines when @RG3 ran a blistering 4.48 seconds — @richeisen told us how it almost didn't happen:#NFL #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/sBfclMNVKu
— Rich Eisen Show (@RichEisenShow) May 3, 2022
This seemed like a plea to come back to the NFL as a player, and while some might chuckle at that thought, Robert Griffin III showed his athleticism by running a 4.8 40-yard-dash at the “Run Rich Run” event, hosted by Rich Eisen.
Now, just because a former player ran a 4.8 40-yard dash, does that mean they’re ready to rejoin the game at the highest level?
No, I’d argue that a fast 40-yard dash — while nice — isn’t the reasoning a team would bring in a former NFL first overall pick.
The reason Robert Griffin III didn’t make it in the NFL wasn’t due to a lack of skill, necessarily. RGIII was a player that constantly ran into injury troubles.
In his 7-year career in the NFL, the list of Robert Griffin’s injuries resembles a CVS receipt.
Robert Griffin III’s injuries
- Sep 26, 2009: Knee ACL Tear Grade 3 (Baylor)
- Dec 9, 2012: Knee LCL Pull Grade 1
- Oct 7, 2012: Head Cranial Concussion Grade 1
- Jan 6, 2013: Knee ACL Tear Grade 3
- Sep 14, 2014: Pedal Ankle Dislocation
- Aug 20, 2015: Head Cranial Concussion Grade 1
- Sep 11, 2016: Shoulder Scapula Fracture
- Dec 24, 2016: Head Cranial Concussion Grade 1
- Jul 27, 2019: Hand Thumb Fracture
With all those injuries, it’s hard to think that RGIII’s second NFL career would be more fruitful than his first. And while I’m a believer in second chances, this seems like more than a second chance. With all of those injuries, it’s surprising Robert Griffin III can even walk, let alone run a 4.8 40-yard dash at age 32.
At the end of the day, there’s little confidence that adding Robert Griffin III to mentor Justin Fields would be worth it.
Yes, Robert Griffin III was an electric quarterback to watch, but his time as a player seems to be done. Now, if RGIII wanted to come to the Bears as a quarterback consultant, there’s reason to believe it could be helpful.
There’s just little belief that Robert Griffin III could make a return as a quarterback in the NFL, especially for the Chicago Bears.