Did Mike Shanahan Just Destroy RGIII’s – and the Franchise’s – Future?

Did Mike Shanahan, through some of the worst coaching malpractice in sports history, just destroy the future of one of the greatest talents to come along in the NFL in a long time?  Did he also, in the process, destroy the franchise’s future? Based on what happened in the playoff game against the Seahawks, when Shanahan left a clearly, and seriously, injured Robert Griffin III in the game for about two quarters longer than he should have (frankly, I don’t even think RGIII should have been playing at all if he was injured), I’d strongly argue YES. Anyway, this is the result of Shanahan’s arrogance, idiocy, short-term thinking, and total lack of common sense (e.g., pretty much everyone watching that game was thinking RGIII should have be removed, certainly at the start of the second half, as the guy could barely move at all, was hurting the team, and was risking serious injury to himself).

Surgery to repair two ligaments in the right knee of Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III was completed just after noon Wednesday, according to a person familiar with the situation.

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James C. Dreese, a doctor for University of Maryland athletic teams, said an LCL tear requires a longer rehabilitation process than an ACL tear. Dreese, who has no specific knowledge of Griffin’s injury, said an LCL tear could keep Griffin out for eight to 12 months.

The question is, will RGIII ever be the same player he was? I sincerely hope so, but it’s certainly not a sure thing. And there will be one person who’s primarily to blame for any long-term harm to RGIII’s career: Mike Shanahan. Sure, the field conditions weren’t good either, and Dan Snyder’s a total dirtbag, so he takes some of the blame too. But Mike Shanahan is THE MAN on the field; it was his call to make, he SHOULD have made it, but he didn’t.

And no, this is NOT 20/20 hindsight, as I tweeted during the game, well prior to the possible career-ending injury, that RGIII should be replaced by Kirk Cousins. Again, anyone with half a brain and functioning eyesight could see that RGIII couldn’t run, could barely put any weight on that knee, and was utterly ineffective after the 1st quarter.

In sum, Mike Shanahan: a) hurt the team and probably lost the game by leaving a seriously injured RGIII in the game; b) risked – and possibly damaged severely – the franchise player’s future, for no good reason; and c) did so even though he had an excellent Plan B available in Kirk Cousins. There are no excuses for any of this, especially when Shanahan also was caught lying about what the team doctor told him. Ergo, it’s time to fire Shanahan, and for no other NFL team to ever employ him again. It’s time to send a message that treating your players (aka, “employees” like dirt is not acceptable behavior in the NFL, or anywhere else in America.