An Update From Mike Shanahan on Robert Griffin III’s Condition

In his regular postgame press briefing Monday, Washington Redskins head coach
Mike Shanahan shed some light on the status of quarterback
Robert Griffin III, who was injured in Sunday’s losing game against the Atlanta Falcons. These briefing
reports come out soon after almost any public remarks made by Shanny, but this week
it feels the whole city is sitting on the edge of its collective chair, holding its
collection breath, waiting and hoping that RG3 will be fine and able to play against
the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday.

Below are Shanahan’s paraphrased remarks about Griffin.

• Today, he has rest and testing. If he passes the test, tomorrow he’ll get a chance
  to get some cardio. If there are no symptoms (headaches, dizziness, nausea), he can
  practice on Wednesday as long as there is no contact. His condition will be monitored
  throughout the week.
• He’s feeling good. He feels like he’s done well on the tests he’s taken thus far.
  He’ll see an independent neurosurgeon today. We’ve gone through this process with
  [wide receiver] Aldrick [Robinson] last week, so I’ve got a little bit better feel
  of the procedures going into this week. Aldrick was out for about a minute and a half,
  and, at least to our awareness, Griffin did not black out at all.
• If he does experience any setbacks or recurring symptoms, chances are he will not
  play.
• Each game is a learning experience. He is very competitive, as most young quarterbacks
  are. You want to make every first down and extend every play to the last second. If
  it is the Super Bowl or you are going for a playoff win, then you take some of those
  chances. But part of the process is staying healthy and being out there for your teammates.

• Robert said to me on the sidelines that he was fine. I said, “You are not fine.
  I don’t think you are fine. Your eyes look a little glassy.” The doctors talked to
  him, and he knew the quarter and the score. Then they took him back in the box behind
  our bench and asked him the quarter and the score again, and the second time he missed
  it. That is when we took him in the locker room and administered the test for a concussion.
  And that is when it was decided he had a concussion, because the tests were not the
  same. That’s when the doctors knew there was some type of problem.
• Any time quarterbacks get hit like that in the NFL, at least in my experience, they
  slide a bit sooner in plays that come. They protect themselves a bit more. That’s
  a process. After talking about it with Robert, if you slide a little bit quicker you
  protect yourself. We tell him how much we need him [and] how valuable he is to our
  football team. You’re constantly going to learn that as time goes on.

Carol Ross Joynt