Jeff Darlington of NFL Media reports that the Redskins plan to keep Robert Griffin III as their backup quarterback to Kirk Cousins for the 2015 season.
Darlington adds that the Redskins could list Colt McCoy as the team’s backup on their depth chart for now, seeing as RGIII is still waiting to be cleared of his concussion.
This, of course, means that RGIII will not be among Washington’s final roster today.
The Redskins run the risk of Griffin sustaining an injury, which would cost them $16.2 million for the 2015 season after they picked up his fifth-year option.
According to Darlington, the decision to keep RGIII has the approval of GM Scot McCloughan, HC Jay Gruden and owner Dan Snyder.
Darlington points out that releasing RGIII would force the Redskins to take a $6.7 million cap hit in 2015, and pay him $3.25 million in guaranteed money. On top of that, there’s no offset language in his contract, which means Washington would be on the hook for the full amount.
Griffin, 25, is in the final year of his four-year, $21,119,098 rookie contract and stands to make a base salary of $3,269,877 for the 2015 season. Washington elected to pick up his fifth-year option worth $16.2 million several months ago.
In 2014, Griffin appeared in nine games and threw for 1,694 yards while completing 68.7 precent of his passes to go along with four touchdowns and six interceptions.
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