It’s been nearly a decade since dual-threat quarterback Robert Griffin III took the NFL by storm as a rookie in 2012 before a brutal sophomore slump that led to him being a backup for the majority of his injury-plagued career.
A second-stringer behind Lamar Jackson on the Ravens last season, Griffin could be ready to step back into the spotlight … just not on an NFL field.
According to The New York Post, the 31-year-old quarterback “excelled” in his auditions for ESPN and Fox as a football analyst and left executives from both networks “blown away” after one of “the top tryouts” they had ever viewed.
As a result, both networks are engaged in a bidding war for the former Heisman and Rookie of the Year’s services as an NFL and college football analyst while they wait to see if he decides to pursue playing football or retires from the NFL after seven seasons. (Griffin has missed two due to injury.)
At ESPN, Griffin would call college games and do some college studio work as well as discuss both the NCAA and NFL on shows like Get Up!. On Fox he would be a bit more limited and stick to calling some NFL games as an analyst and do some pre-game, halftime and post-game college football shows on the main network and FS1.
“Even if Griffin does decide to play, TV will be waiting for him when he ultimately retires. The way Griffin has elevated his status as a potential broadcaster is interesting,” per The Post. “He has not had a Peyton Manning-type pro career that makes him a no-brainer atop TV wish lists.”
That’s certainly true as Griffin, outside of his electrifying rookie season, has been a below-average NFL QB for the bulk of his career and has a 16-26 record as a starter. With 43 career touchdowns passes and 30 interceptions to go along with 27 lost fumbles, Griffin had seven rushing touchdowns as a rookie but hit pay dirt as a rusher just three more times after that.
Griffin first got introduced as a commentator on a national level when he was part of Bleacher Report’s streaming coverage of the NFL Draft in April. The former member of the Washington Football Team was part of a moment that went viral after he said that his former backup, Kirk Cousins, couldn’t be happy that the Minnesota Vikings drafted Texas A&M quarterback Kellen Mond.
Griffin, who is currently a free agent in football as well as TV, recently doubled down on the notion that Cousins isn’t happy about Mond’s presence in Minnesota.
“I can tell you that No. 8 in Minnesota is not real happy right now,” Griffin said via NFL.com. “Because Kellen Mond represents exactly what he doesn’t do well. Kellen Mond is the big, physical quarterback. He can run it, throw it all over the field, and I don’t think that’s something that No. 8 is able to do in Cousins in Minnesota. But, I think that’s what the coaching staff and administration is looking for. As you’ve seen, Cousins has been collecting checks there in Minnesota for a long time, taking them to 8-8, 9-7 seasons. If he has a bad start to the year like he did last year, I could see the fans and maybe the organization leaning toward Mond if he comes in and impresses.”
The same way the Fox and ESPN execs are leaning toward Griffin after his All-Star audition.
More Like This
Whether you’re looking to get into shape, or just get out of a funk, The Charge has got you covered. Sign up for our new wellness newsletter today.
