Justin Fields Dosn't Need a Caddie
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Robert Griffin III, AKA RG III, lit up Bears fan social media with a comment he made on Rich Eisen's show.
"Going to Chicago with Justin Fields to try to help as much as I possibly can in that quarterback room would be a great situation," RG III told Eisen.
The responses on social media after this were in favor of it, as usually is expected when someone recognizable says they want to come to Chicago. However, there were some who rejected it.
Players who have been a favorite of fantasy football owners at some point are always among those who draw the most support.
RG III has definitely been around the NFL, seen plenty and played in different situations with Washington, Cleveland and Baltimore.
There are reasons to think he could bring something aside from the fact he is a mobile 32-year-old quarterback with experience starting.
The main reason would be his experience operating the Shanahan offense.
In 2012 as a rookie, RG III was in the Washington Redskins offensive of the original Shanahan, Mike, with Kyle on staff, as well as Matt LaFleur and Sean McVay. This is sort of the birthplace for this whole Shanahan style attack of the modern era.
Of course, Shanahan was in Denver with John Elway and won a Super Bowl but the offense morphed a bit since then and was blended more with the modern passing game in 2012 with the Redskins. The three young assistants were there when the Redskins overworked RG III's injured knee during a Pro Bowl rookie season when they made the playoffs.
Times have changed and there are more reasons now why RG III is not a good idea for what the Bears are currently doing.
1. RG III's Ability
Putting it simply, RG III isn't any good.
In fact, he hasn't been any good since his rookie year when they wrecked his knee. He had a spectacular start with 8.1 yards per pass attempt to lead the league, and a 102.4 passer rating. He had a Michael Vick-like rushing total of 815 yards with seven touchdowns. After injuring his knee, his rushing yards dipped by 326 yards in Year 2 and his passer rating dropped to a mediocre 82.2. His passer rating over the last six years of his career has been a lowly 79.4.
Griffin has been putting up Mike Glennon numbers since leaving Washington.
2. RG III Is Done
He didn't play in the league last year. No one wanted him. He's a college football commentator. The Bears should want to sign him. For what, to announce?
He wants to come back and help Fields? Of course he does. He's announcing right now. The money is better in the NFL, unless you're Tony Romo.
RG III threw only 205 passes after the 2014 season, which isn't even half the total for one regular season.
In fact, after he left Washington after the 2014 season, RG III played in only 19 more games and started only seven more games.
He started one game in 2019 and 2020 and none in 2018. Tyler Huntley took his backup job.
RG III threw only 205 passes after the 2014 season, which isn't even half the total for one regular season.
He had a 65.4 passer rating over his final four years with seven interceptions to three touchdowns and completed only 58.5% in seven starts and 19 appearances. His yards per attempt were a scant 5.7. Those are poor numbers in any man's league.
3. Limited Experience in Offense
It was the wide zone or Shanahan offense he played in but different than the way the Packers ran it, which presumably is how Luke Getsy will run it. RG III's experience in that offense ended when Shanahan was fired in 2013. Baltimore and Cleveland didn't run that offense while he played there and even if they had he didn't play much anyway. But they didn't run it.
4. Nothing to Learn From Him
RG III, in his prime for one year, did everything he did off athletic ability. He wasn't reading defenses and running an offense efficiently. The Bears don't want Fields settling into that style of play. He needs to become a real passer who reads defenses and knows his offense well. The athleticism should be his last resort. RG III knows nothing about this. Never did it.
So Fields started with a poor 73.2. He's supposed to learn to be more efficient from someone with a 79.4 rating?
5. Trevor Siemian Is the Backup
Siemian has had difficult times a this last two stops, particularly last year with New Orleans when he averaged 6.1 yards per attempt. Even then, he was fairly efficient with an 88.1 passer rating, 11 TDs and only three interceptions. And when Siemian last was the starter for a team he led the Broncos to a 13-11 record over two seasons.
Siemian actually ran a more modern version of the Shanahan offense in 2016 with the Broncos under Rick Gary Kubiak and put up an 84.6 rating with 18 TDs to 10 interceptions.
6. Justin Fields Needs a Caddie?
Justin Fields needs RG III to come and hold his hand, as if he somehow can't relate to the people the Bears have coaching the team or playing the position with him?
If that's the case, then the Bears really do have the wrong quarterback. They have the wrong coaches, too.
Fields should stand on his own two feet and try to learn from Aaron Rodgers' former quarterbacks coach and Kirk Cousins' former QB coach Andrew Janocko.
Fields doesn't need a caddie or hand holder.
This is the NFL not Pop Warner.
Fields could use some help, just not the kind Griffin thinks he'd bring.
Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven
