Redskins coach Mike Shanahan said the results of Griffin’s magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) exam were inconclusive and that Griffin would be examined today by renowned surgeon James Andrews near Pensacola, Fla. That evaluation is an attempt to determine whether the MRI results show new injuries to Griffin’s anterior cruciate and lateral collateral ligaments or previous injuries, Shanahan said.
Griffin tore the ACL in the same knee in 2009 while he was a sophomore at Baylor University.
“Any time you do have a former ACL injury, or an LCL, and you look at this MRI, sometimes it’s old injuries,” Shanahan said.
One person with knowledge of the situation said Griffin might need exploratory surgery to determine the extent of his injuries.
A day after Griffin played most of Sunday’s playoff loss against the Seattle Seahawks with a clearly reinjured right knee, debate intensified throughout the sports world about whether Shanahan should have pulled his quarterback despite Griffin’s demand to stay in the game.
“You’ve got to live and die with your quarterback,” Redskins receiver Pierre Garon said. “If he can play, if he says he can play, you’ve got to go with him.”
Houston Texans running back Derrick Ward countered, via Twitter: “Mike Shanahan should be fired for letting RG3 play today. Bottom line. You risk tearing his knee up to try to win and u see he isn’t mobile.”
Shanahan, who acknowledged Sunday that he would “probably second-guess myself,” about the decision, said Monday that he was confident he had made the right call.
“Robert’s our franchise quarterback, and I’m not going to take the chance on his career to win a game,” Shanahan said. “But I also know that when you’ve got the belief in a guy, and you feel he can play at a certain level, and the doctors are telling you that he’s OK to go in, then you’ve got to do what you think is right.”
BILLS HIRE MARRONE
It’s official: Doug Marrone is the Buffalo Bills’ new coach.
Hired after going 25-25 in four seasons at Syracuse, Marrone agreed to the contract on Sunday. The 48-year-old from the Bronx takes over a week after Chan Gailey was fired following three consecutive losing seasons.
Marrone becomes the Bills’ fifth coach in 12 years. He led Syracuse to an 8-5 record this season, including a 38-14 victory over West Virginia last month in the Pinstripe Bowl.
EXTRA POINTS
Andy Reid was introduced as the Chiefs’ new coach. Reid, who agreed to a five-year deal, went 130-93-1 in 14 seasons of coaching the Eagles. … The Browns, who are seeking a new coach, are expected to interview Marc Trestman, the coach of the CFL’s Montreal Alouettes and a former NFL offensive assistant. … The Eagles will interview Cincinnati offensive coordinator Jay Gruden for their coaching vacancy. … Colts offensive coordinator Bruce Arians remained in a Baltimore hospital a day after he missed the team’s playoff loss to the Ravens because of an undisclosed illness. … Matt Cavanaugh will not return as the Jets’ quarterbacks coach.
