Robert Griffin III’s broadcasting career is continuing to gain steam.
According to the New York Post’s Andrew Marchand, the former NFL quarterback has been tapped to replace Randy Moss on ESPN’s “Monday Night Football” pregame show, “Monday Night Countdown”. Marchand reported that ESPN has been impressed with Griffin and they wanted to find another outlet for his burgeoning talent. Moss’ newly vacated seat on “Monday Night Countdown” gave them the opportunity to plug Griffin into a new project.
ESPN apparently didn’t create this opportunity for RG3 by giving Moss the boot. Marchand reported on Friday that Moss decided to leave his MNF job voluntarily while he was negotiating a new contract with ESPN.
No official announcement has been made by ESPN, but Griffin tweeted about it on Monday morning.
Griffin, 32, has been a broadcaster for barely a year, breaking into the business after he decided to end his NFL career following the 2020 season. Marchand reported in June of 2021 that Griffin had auditioned for ESPN and Fox, and both networks were “blown away” by his talent. He was apparently so good that, according to Marchand, Fox and ESPN started a bidding war to sign him. ESPN won the war, and Griffin spent the 2021 football season calling college games and appearing as an analyst on several ESPN studio shows. He will reportedly continue doing that in addition to his new position on MNF.
Could Griffin return to the NFL?
Griffin has expressed a desire to return to the NFL if a team gives him an opportunity. He told KWTX a few weeks ago that he was still ready to go if a team called him, training, throwing, and working out every day to stay prepared.
Griffin was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2012 NFL draft, chosen by the Washington Commanders after spending four years at Baylor. His rookie season was great (he was named the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, but his time with the Commanders was mostly defined by injuries (a dislocated ankle and a knee issue that required surgery) and his inability to replicate his successful rookie year.
He was released in 2016 after spending the entire 2015 season inactive and third on the QB depth chart. He’d start just two games from 2016 to 2020, spending a year with the Cleveland Browns and three with the Baltimore Ravens as a backup.
Returning to the NFL is alluring, especially for guys like RG3 who didn’t reach their full potential. His contract with ESPN reportedly has an out clause in case he wants to try it, but it seems like a very bad idea. He’d likely be competing for a backup role at best, trying to beat quarterbacks who are at least 10 years younger than him. Since ESPN apparently likes Griffin enough to give him a big MNF role after just a single year of broadcast experience, returning to the NFL trenches would be a step back.
