"Washington, as much as any team in the NFL, should know about the importance of a franchise quarterback. And Washington, perhaps more than any team in the NFL, should know that as much as a quarterback is needed to lift a franchise, the franchise, in turn, needs to do its part in protecting him so he can keep lifting. That should have been true even before Jayden Daniels was injured while playing late in a blowout loss on Sunday."
"Back in 2012, Washington appeared to have a QB savior in Robert Griffin III, a dynamic Heisman winner who bested Andrew Luck and Russell Wilson to win NFL Rookie of the Year. Then came the first quarter of a wild-card game against Seattle, when Griffin's right knee buckled. Rather than putting in backup Kirk Cousins, coach Mike Shanahan stuck with the clearly compromised Griffin. It was a brutal watch. The offense sputtered to just 41 yards en route to a loss."
"Griffin eventually crumbled after hyperextending his knee while reaching for a low snap. Days later, he underwent surgery. He was never the same player again. He accounted for 27 touchdowns before the injury; just 26 over the rest of his career. Washington, meanwhile, didn't win a playoff game until a dozen years later. That's when another Heisman-winning, rookie sensation led the Commanders to last season's NFC Championship Game."
Washington repeatedly experienced the consequences of failing to protect elite quarterbacks, exemplified by Robert Griffin III's career-altering knee injury and Jayden Daniels' recent elbow dislocation. Griffin returned from hyperextension and surgery but never regained pre-injury production, while Washington endured a long playoff drought until a later young quarterback revived the franchise. The franchise's in-game decisions and injury management can magnify harm, turning promising rookie seasons into diminished careers. Protecting a franchise quarterback requires proactive coaching choices, timely substitutions, medical prudence, and organizational commitment to player health to sustain both individual careers and team success.
Read at ESPN.com
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