Injured Redskins QB Robert Griffin III could have ACL injury

LANDOVER, Md. — There is reason to fear the worst.

At least that is what Robert Griffin III indicated after hinting that the anterior cruciate ligament inside his right knee may have been damaged on the play that ended his (and the Washington Redskins') season with 6:19 remaining in Sunday's 24-14 NFC wild-card loss to the Seattle Seahawks.

Griffin went down in writhing pain as his knee bent in nighmarish fashion when he went to retrieve a low snap by center Will Montgomery on second-and-22 from the Washington 12-yard line.

Asked if he was worried about a dreaded ACL tear, Griffin replied, "Honestly, it's up in the air right now. I know coming off the field I thought it was just the same thing (he sprained his lateral collateral ligament last month). But right now, we'll see what it is.

"No matter what it is, our season's over right now, and I've just got to make sure that I get back healthy no matter what the injury is.''

Washington coach Mike Shanahan said Griffin will undergo an MRI.

But the question of the day was whether Shanahan risked Griffin's future by continuing to play him after he aggravated his knee on a first-quarter scramble when it buckled beneath him. Renowned team orthopedist James Andrews told USA TODAY Sports on Saturday that he had not cleared Griffin to return for four plays against the Baltimore Ravens after Griffin first sprained his LCL on Dec. 9.

"We would not play Robert if we thought there was a risk of him further injuring the LCL,'' Shanahan said when asked about the USA TODAY Sports story.

Griffin said even if Shanahan had told him to come out of the Seattle game earlier, he would have fought to play on.

"I probably would have been right back out there on the field,'' RGIII said. "You respect authority. And I respect Coach Shanahan. But at the same time, you have to step up and be a man sometimes and there was no way I was coming out of the game.''

After Griffin was helped off the turf after several minutes, he was finally relieved by fellow rookie Kirk Cousins.

"My job is to be out there if I can play," said Griffin. "I don't feel like me being out there hurt the team in anyway."

But he didn't regret the decision to perform even after the leg buckled earlier in the game and required a tape job.

"I did put myself at more risk by being out there," the rookie admitted. "That's just the approach I had to take. My teammates needed me out there."

Asked about weighing Griffin's health vs. the desire to win a playoff game afterward, Redskins coach Mike Shanahan said: "You got to make decisions based on everything, based on the best interests of him, what gives you a chance to win.

"But if we thought it had something to do with Robert's injury, he wouldn't have been in there."

Andrews relayed his concerns about Griffin to USA TODAY Sports' Robert Klemko before the Redskins even kicked off Sunday.

"I've been a nervous wreck letting him come back as quick as he has. He's doing a lot better this week, but he's still recovering and I'm holding my breath because of it," said Andrews, who contradicted the story of coach Mike Shanahan, who said Andrews cleared the rookie to return to action when he was first injured last month.

"He passed all the tests and all the functional things we do, but it's been a trying moment for me, to be honest with you," added Andrews, expounding on his decision to clear RGIII's return in Week 16 after he sat out one game.

The Redskins will now have to hope a new injury won't cost their star more games in 2013.

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/body&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/body&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/html&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;