Allen: No rift between Shanahan, Griffin
Washington Redskins general manager Bruce Allen said Friday that there is no rift between coach Mike Shanahan and quarterback Robert Griffin III.
"We have a very competitive player who's dying to play football and we have an experienced coach who is doing the right thing," Allen said in a press conference. "I know somewhere Billy (Kilmer) and Sonny (Jurgensen) are laughing that we created a quarterback controversy with Robert Griffin."
Kilmer and Jurgensen are former Redskins quarterbacks.
Earlier this week, Griffin publicly questioned Shanahan's plan for him as he is coming back from knee surgery. However, he later clarified that he has no problem with Shanahan and will do as instructed.
Shanahan said that Griffin is just a competitor who wants to play and that he is in constant communication with his quarterback.
Griffin says he is close to 100 percent but Shanahan has had him on a restrictive practice routine.
Allen said that Griffin may be ready to play by the season against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sept. 9.
"He is ahead of schedule; he gets his work in," Allen said. "We've had no setbacks so far. The goal is for him to play in Week 1. I don't know if that will happen."
ESPN will air an interview with Griffin on Sunday in which he addresses the team's plan for his return.
"They asked me what I thought of the plan and I told them honestly if it was up to me and it was my way or the highway, it would be something different," he said. "But that's not how it is. You have to respect authority and I have. Coach asks me to do something and I do it. If he says don't do that, I haven't done it. I felt I needed to come out and let everyone know it's not a problem, it's not an issue. That's not what our team needs. ...
"When you all have a common goal you can put all the differences aside or whatever you're not thinking the same way on certain things. We all want to win. Coach wants me to be healthy. I want to be healthy and that's what this plan's about so that's what you do."
