LANDOVER, MARYLAND ( WSLS 10) - Jay Gruden makes a surprising declaration Monday by naming Kirk Cousins the Washington Redskins' starting quarterback for the entire 2015 season.
According to NFL.com, Gruden said, "When it's all said and done, after all the film we've gone through, after all the offseason activity, all the training camp footage, we feel like at this time, Kirk Cousins gives us the best chance to win and that's where we're going." "It's Kirk's team."
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He also said the decision to name Cousins as the starter does not have anything to do with Robert Griffin III's concussion, but rather Cousins' play on the field.
"Kirk has done an outstanding job," he said. "Robert has done some great things no question, we have total faith in all three of them. But moving forward, with all the things we've studied over the course of training camp and OTAs, we just feel like Kirk has earned the right to be the starting quarterback for 2015."
Griffin remains in the NFL's concussion protocol after an independent neurologist reversed course on RGIII's playing status for Saturday's preseason tilt against the Ravens. That left Cousins to open Washington's third preseason game, which is where he made his case as the best option to be the team's starter over Griffin and Colt McCoy.
After Griffin was named starter early in the offseason, Gruden wouldn't even say whether RGIII would be No. 2 or 3 QB when he is eventually cleared.
Gruden added that there has been no discussions about cutting or trading Griffin in light of the demotion.
"It's a good problem to have to have three quarterbacks that are competing and working their butts off and I feel like all three of them are capable quarterbacks," he said. "Some people say when you have three, you don't have one and I disagree with that. We have three good quarterbacks that I feel good about. I just feel like Kirk right now gives us the best chance."
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