33rd Team: Washington Commanders Rookie Had One of the Best 1st Seasons This Century

Not all NFL busts are created equal, and the Washington Commanders are hoping not to find that out the hard way with quarterback Jayden Daniels.

Before Daniels was selected by the Commanders however, 12 years earlier in fact, the franchise made another quarterback the No. 2 overall pick and he would go on to set the NFL world on fire for a short period of time.

When Washington selected Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Robert Griffin III out of Baylor in 2012 it drafted the eventual Offensive Rookie of the Year, and conductor of the second-best rookie quarterback season this century according to 33rd Team's Dan Pizzuta.

Washington Commanders had one of the best rookie seasons known when Robert Griffin III quarterbacked the Redskins in 2012. — Dec 30, 2012; Landover, MD, USA; Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III (10) runs for a first down against the Dallas Cowboys during the second half at FedEX Field. The Redskins won 28 - 18. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA Today Sports | Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

"Griffin’s rookie season combined two things we now point to for immediate rookie success — a mobile quarterback and a Shanahan offense. Griffin had an explosive debut, including an 88-yarder for his first touchdown pass, and it didn’t slow down from there," writes Pizzuta. "Griffin’s 13 games with positive EPA matched Matt Ryan’s, and his rushing ability raised the floor in every game. Griffin had 825 non-kneel rushing yards, a rookie record, and added seven rushing touchdowns. He did fumble six times but only lost two. Otherwise, he was great at taking care of the ball, with a 1.3 percent interception rate that tied Tom Brady for the league lead."

Unfortunately, after suffering an ACL injury things were never the same for Griffin and the franchise that drafted him. Eventually the team turned to Kirk Cousins, who they selected in the third round of the very same draft, and then on to a rotating crew of quarterbacks ever since.

Today, Cousins is quarterbacking the Atlanta Falcons, Griffin has been out of the league for years, and Washington is hitching its wagon to its next great young rookie quarterback.

But it's hard not to smile a little when you think about the excitement of that 2012 season and what still could've been, even now that we know what became of the team and the player.

The only rookie quarterback season ranked higher than Griffin's unfortunately goes to Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, who many believe is about to embark on his final season playing for the Commanders' hated rival.

Stick with CommanderGameday and the Locked On Commanders podcast for more coverage of the Washington Commanders throughout the 2024 season.