Robert Griffin III hasn’t forgotten about his past with Jay Gruden.
The former NFL quarterback played for Gruden in 2014, — when he joined Washington Redskins (now the Washington Commanders) as their head coach — and was eventually benched for Kirk Cousins after he dislocated his ankle early in the season.
Griffin and Gruden went back and forth Monday night after the former coach posted a message on X defending Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts during the Buccaneers’ 32-9 win against Philadelphia in an NFC wild-card game on Monday.
“If I ever put a QB through what Philly is putting Jalen through , I apologize. Pick up a blitz !” Gruden wrote.
Griffin reposted Gruden’s message and wrote, “Say WHATTTT???” with a photo of himself tipping his glasses and looking into the camera, seemingly incredulously.
“U weren’t prepared Robert ?” Gruden replied, to which Griffin wrote, “You told me you didn’t know how to coach a QB who could throw and run like me, so looks like you weren’t prepared Jay.”
Gruden — who currently serves as an offensive consultant for the Los Angeles Rams — also posted a meme that read: “Boy, that escalated quickly.”
He was the head coach in Washington from 2014-19.
Gruden previously served as an offensive coordinator for the Cincinnati Bengals (2011-13) and the Jacksonville Jaguars (2020).
The No. 2 overall pick by Washington in 2012, Griffin played eight NFL seasons with Washington (2012-15), Cleveland (2016) and Baltimore (2018-20).
He last played for the Ravens before he was waived by the team in January 2021, following three seasons with the organization and a slew of injuries.
In 56 career games, Griffin threw for 9,271 yards and 43 touchdowns while rushing for 1,809 yards and 10 scores.
The former Heisman Trophy winner joined ESPN in August 2021, and serves as a college football and NFL analyst across a number of shows.
Last April, his wife, Grete Griffin, said he trains every day while juggling his on-air duties as an analyst for ESPN.
Griffin wasn’t the only former Washington standout who took issue with Gruden’s post.
Former All-Pro running back Brian Mitchell, who won a Super Bowl with Washington in 1992, also responded to Gruden’s message about Hurts.
“Are you serious?????” Mitchell wrote. “Dude, please just f-ing disappear!!!” — to which Gruden told him to “be quiet” because he’s a punt returner.
“I was way better at all of my jobs than you were at any of yours,” Mitchell said. “You are a joke.”
Gruden wrote back, “You have criticized every coach that has ever coached in DC. Why don’t you coach? Punt return team would be sick.”
Former Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner also weighed in.
“Or… give him some better options to beat it… motion? Stack? Bunch? Quicker options shouldn’t be this hard coach!!” Warner wrote.
