Ex-Redskins TE Chris Cooley: many players ‘did not like’ RG3
Former Redskins tight end Chris Cooley says Robert Griffin III was not the most popular teammate during his time with the team.
Cooley, who spent his entire career (2004–’12) as a member of the team, spoke on ESPN 980 radio on Monday and spoke with candor on the recently-released Griffin’s relationships with teammates, including fellow quarterback Kirk Cousins.
“There was never a friendship relationship,” Cooley said of Griffin and Cousins, according to The Washington Post. “From the moment Kirk was drafted, I think Robert had animosity towards him. A lot of people in this area hated that fourth-round pick; I don’t think anyone hated it as much as RG3 hated it.”
Cooley added that Cousins and Griffin never hung out, and that veteran Rex Grossman, at one point the third-string quarterback, noticed how bad the situation was getting.
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Cooley also said many other teammates disliked Griffin, including the offensive linemen.
“The offensive line did not like Robert Griffin,” Cooley said. “A lot of the receivers did not like Robert Griffin. The offensive line had a problem with Robert, because they were considered for a year and a half or two years a terrible offensive line that couldn’t protect a quarterback. A lot of that isn’t true. A lot of that was Robert. A lot of the sacks were put on Robert. Want to believe it or not, they were, okay? Football-wise, they were: it was Robert.”
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He added that Griffin never took responsibility for his own mistakes with regard to being sacked, and that receivers were frustrated by not getting the ball.
“Robert did have friends, of course he had friends, but there were a lot of guys on this team that said it doesn’t benefit me—as a player, as an individual—and we don’t know if it benefits the team with him under center at this point,” Cooley said.
