9781422283011

But RG3 wasn’t just a popular young player. The second overall pick in the draft, he was a major investment for the Redskins. Was it worth risking fu- ture injury to get him back on the field for this impor- tant moment? Shanahan decided it was. Griffin returned to ac- tion, but he looked hindered by the knee. And with 6:19 left in the game, the worst happened—he buck- led in pain while trying to retrieve a low snap from his center. Griffin had torn a knee ligament that he had in- jured earlier. He would undergo surgery three days later, and the consequences would extend in wide ripples. Griffin, hampered by injuries ever since, has struggled to regain the form he showed as a rookie. Shanahan would be fired after that 2013 season, in large part for the handling of his quarterback. Though the details always vary, this is a story that many National Football League players, coaches and executives can relate to. The very qualities that have made football the most popular sport in Amer- ica—the remarkable size and athleticism of the play-

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