ASHBURN, Va. (AP) – Frustrated that a quote about striving to be the NFL’s best quarterback was taken out of context, Robert Griffin III complained Tuesday that his name “keeps getting used for headlines.”
The Washington Redskins quarterback drew heavy scrutiny for his comments to WJLA-TV, the ABC affiliate in Washington, given his struggles with injuries and on-field performance the past two seasons.
But Griffin insisted the full context of his words was ignored by most who wrote about the interview.
“I know what I meant. I think everyone in this circle knows what I meant,” Griffin told a small group of reporters after practice at Redskins Park. “And it’s unfortunate that my name keeps getting used for headlines for people to click on stories. But I know what I want to be, I know what I strive to be and I’m not going to make any apologies for that.”
Despite a dislocated ankle that kept him off the field for six games and a late-season benching in 2014, Griffin was named the starter for the upcoming season in February. The Redskins also picked up his fifth-year option for 2016 and hired a quarterbacks coach, Matt Cavanaugh, to work with him.