Robert Griffin III (RG3) dislocated his left ankle Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars, but RG3 could return this season after all. An MRI on Monday showed RG3’s dislocated ankle had no fractures.
Ankle dislocations are traditionally accompanied by slight fractures and bone breaks, which would have knocked RG3 out for the entire 2014-15 NFL season. It is the second year in a row RG3 has missed part of a season due to injury.
The news was reassuring for Redskins home fans, who on Sunday had their first chance to see RG3’s role in coach Jay Gruden’s revamped offense. They didn’t get to see much of RG3 in his new “pocket passer” role due to the first-quarter injury.
After RG3 was carted off the field in an aircast, Redskins backup QB Kirk Cousins came in and guided the Redskins to a 41-10 victory. Cousins finished the game having completed 22 of 33 passes for 250 yards and two touchdowns without an interception.
Had RG3’s dislocated ankle come with any bone fractures, he would have likely needed season-ending surgery. Without the fractures, coach Jay Gruden on Sunday said RG3 could return this season.
Gruden did not put a timetable on RG3’s return, only saying he would be put in a cast for “a few weeks.”
Mark Drakos, a surgeon at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York, told USA Today that “If [RG3] didn’t break anything and is one of those rare people that just dislocated it, then it ends up being primarily a ligament issue. [I]t’s possible that a lot of those ligaments can heal on their own without surgery and then potentially that can expedite their return.”
According to USA Today, Drakos said if RGs suffered only ligament damage, RG3 could potentially return in four to eight weeks, or at least be able to resume practice at that time.