Four and a half months after undergoing surgery on his right knee, Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin threw to Pierre Garcon and Fred Davis while working alongside other players who are rehabilitating injuries during the team’s OTA practices.
According to multiple reports out of Redskins Park, Griffin, who had surgery to repair tears of his anterior cruciate and lateral collateral ligaments in January, was not moving at full-speed, but was able to plant his right leg and made “crisp” throws to his targets.
“The knee feels great,” Griffin said. “I’m able to do all the stuff out there without any hesitation, so that’s the best part about it. I’m excited about that. It’s all about having that confidence, and if you put the work in, you’ll have that confidence when you get back out there on the field. It’s about playing like you were never injured.”
Whether or not Griffin will be available for the start of training camp has yet to be determined. Though Griffin is ahead of schedule in his rehab, the 2012 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year acknowledged that he needs to work on “explosive sprinting” and “cutting” before he will be ready to play.
Griffin hopes to be ready for training camp, but has the proper perspective as he knows he’s entering year 2 of what it is expected to be a very long and productive NFL career.
“Yes, I’m all-in for week 1, but I’m also all-in the rest of my career,” Griffin added.
Griffin also said that he has been taking “mental reps” and doesn’t feel as though he needs offseason or preseason snaps to play against the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2013 regular season-opener. Redskins head coach Mike Shanahan would not be comfortable with that scenario.
Shanahan was criticized for how the team handled Griffin’s injuries last season, but Griffin said no repair was needed on their relationship this offseason.
“The only thing that needed repair was my knee,” Griffin said.