NFL broadcaster John Madden has stated that he thinks the Washington Redskins' decision to sit Robert Griffin III for the rest of the season is a poor one.
The Redskins announced on Wednesday that Griffin would be inactive due to concerns about his fitness, with Kirk Cousins taking his place as quarterback for the final three games.
Hall of Fame coach Madden disagreed with the choice, and said that a continual run of games will only make Griffin more experienced and therefore a better player.
Madden told SiriusXM NFL Radio: "I don't understand what they're doing in Washington. It's hard to believe 'well we're watching out for RGIII's health and his welfare'. You know, if you felt that way about his health and welfare, you probably would have done something about it a year ago, or maybe even earlier in the season, when he started the regular season without any pre-season practice.
"His playing is going to to help him. He needs experience, he needs snaps, he needs reps, he needs to get his confidence back. I've never heard of a football player ever being shut down, that's a baseball term. Now if he's hurt, that's a different story. If he's hurt and can't play, then we're talking about a different ballgame here.
"There's only 16 regular games a year. You're not going to sacrifice regular season games for an off-season program, in my opinion."
Griffin completed 274 of his 456 passes for over 3,000 yards this season. He threw 16 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, being sacked 38 times.
Joe McPhee
