Robert Griffin III, the Washington Redskins’ sensational rookie quarterback who played much of the playoff defeat to Seattle Sunday in obvious pain, suffered partially torn anterior cruciate and lateral cruciate ligaments in his right knee, sources told The Washington Post.
An MRI discovered the partial tears. RGIII will undergo further tests Tuesday in Pensacola, Fla., by renown orthopedic surgeon James Andrews. This examination could determine if the injuries are new or old.
The newspaper indicated the sources were not able to determine Griffin’s recovery timetable or if he would require surgery to repair the injuries. In 2009 while at Baylor, Griffin tore the ACL of the same knee.
He has been playing with a mild sprain of the knee for the last two weeks, after missing the end of the Baltimore win and all of the Cleveland win the following week.
The Post reported that a source said exploratory surgery to determine the extent of the damage could be an option. Griffin, another source told the newspaper, would like to avoid full-blown reconstructive surgery if the tears are partial.
The team is “trying to find out,” a source said, whether the tears that were revealed in the MRI are old injuries just discovered or new.
Coach Mike Shanahan said at his news conference Monday at Redskins Park that he didn’t know the extent of the damage to Griffin’s knee or how long it will take the quarterback, who just completed his rookie season, to recover.
With these injuries, it would be a stretch to think Griffin, the likely choice for NFL rookie of the year, would play in the Pro Bowl next month. The team, at this point, does not know if he will be at full strength when training camp opens in the spring.
