Robert Griffin III and Mike Shanahan are trying to settle their differences within the Washington Redskins' facility.
The playoff picture
How would your team's prospects look if the season ended today? See where each team stands in the playoff picture midway through the season. **More ...**
The quarterback and his coach met earlier this week to try and hash out their issues after it seemed like RGIII threw the coaches under the bus when he said the Philadelphia Eagles knew what plays were coming, NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reported Sunday on NFL Network's "NFL GameDay Morning." Rapoport said there was an "air of positivity" after the meeting.Â
NFL Media columnist Michael Silver reported during the segment, however, that RGIII has expressed to teammates his dissatisfaction with Shanahan.
"This could be coming to a head," Silver said. "Inside the building, we talked to people familiar with the situation, they perceive RGIII as kind of insecure, specifically about Kirk Cousins, which may be one reason he (RGIII) was so eager to rush back. At Baylor (University), they didn't put RGIII's bad plays up on the board in the meeting rooms. Sources familiar with the situation say he has asked the Redskins to do the same. They have refused to up to this point."
Shanahan responded to the report quickly Sunday.
"That's completely false. Robert wouldn't do that," Shanahan told Mike Jones of The Washington Post. Shanahan noted he doesn't pass along personal conversations, but he wanted to set the record straight after a perceived "character assassination" on Griffin.
The initial controversy this week spawned from a perception that some Redskins players wanted Griffin to take more blame for the team's struggles. A request to not be called out for poor plays would bolster the belief that there is an undercurrent of discontent within the locker room, even if every side denies it exists.
Griffin sometimes has been defensive when speaking with the media this season, and Silver's report supports the idea that it could be more than just perception.
This situation isn't going away soon, as much as Shanahan and Griffin might want it to skedaddle. At the end of the day, owner Dan Snyder will have to decide if the relationship between his franchise quarterback and his coach is salvageable, or if a divorce from Shanahan is best for all parties.
*We previewed every Week 12 game in the latest "Around The League Podcast." *
