Jon Gruden recalls warning Commanders on Kirk Cousins' potential after drafting Robert Griffin III - "This guy's a sumbit*h now"
Jon Gruden recalled discussing Kirk Cousins' potential with the Commanders after they picked the quarterback in the same draft as Robert Griffin III. The Washington franchise picked the latter with the second selection in 2012 and followed that up with the current Falcons' star in the fourth round.
Appearing on the Pardon My Take podcast, Jon Gruden said that Kirk Cousins seriously impressed him at quarterback camp. So much so that he called Bruce Allen, then Washington's general manager, to air his opinion even after they had taken Robert Griffin III in the first round. His comments were:
"The other guy I loved was Kirk Cousins and I still stay in touch with Kirk Cousins. And they [Washington Commanders, formerly Redskins] drafted RGIII in the first round. I remember telling Bruce Allen [Then Redskins GM] I said, 'This guy's a sumbit*h now. Be careful.' And look where he is."
Jon Gruden reveals QB other than Kirk Cousins who impressed him and it's not Robert Griffin III
Jon Gruden also said that Cousins was not the only quarterback in the 2012 NFL Draft who impressed him. It was not Robert Griffin III, who was selected second overall by the Commanders.
It was not Andrew Luck either. The first overall pick was highly rated by scouts and the Colts took him under extraordinary circumstances. Jim Irsay decided to move on from Peyton Manning, one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time who had brought the Super Bowl to Indianapolis for the first time in franchise history.
Instead, Jon Gruden said that Russell Wilson was the other quarterback who impressed him in 2012. The star has since won a Super Bowl with the Seahawks and is enjoying a career resurgence with the Steelers this year after a couple of bad seasons in Denver.
Of course, whether there is a bit of hindsight in his claims is debatable. Robert Griffin III was the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2012 and looked like he was about to be the next big thing. Andrew Luck too became a very good professional quarterback. However, injuries curtailed both their careers and they had to bow out of the game.
If Jon Gruden did really have the foresight, though, it must be said that he was spot-on with his analysis. Both Kirk Cousins and Russell Wilson have their respective teams, the Falcons and the Steelers, atop their respective divisions entering Week 11 of the 2024 NFL season.