Washington might not be making a coaching change after all. After rumors that Jay Gruden could lose his job in a power struggle with quarterback Robert Griffin III, the coach was informed the team plans to retain him for the 2015 season, according to NBC4's Dianna Marie Russini.
As it has in previous years, Washington's season has boiled down to the dysfunctional relationship between Griffin and his head coach. In 2013, Mike Shanahan bumped heads with the struggling Griffin, resulting in an untenable work environment for both the signal caller and coach. Management ultimately stood behind Griffin, for whom they had traded a bevy of high draft picks to acquire in 2012.
Griffin's struggles continued this season under Gruden. After the quarterback made statements perceived to be critical of his teammates, the new head coach publicly called him out during a November press conference, saying, "Robert needs to worry about himself. I'll worry about everybody else. He elaborated too much."
Soon after, Griffin was benched for Colt McCoy, a decision viewed at the time as the end of the RGIII era in Washington. However, reports later surfaced that management might instead make another coaching change and give Griffin another chance. The news that Gruden will return next year contradicts those claims.
Ultimately, the fates of Gruden and RGIII won't be determined until after the conclusion of the regular season. Washington plays the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys to close out the year.