RG3 Injury Update: How Bad is Redskins Star Hurt after Playoff Loss?

As much as the Washington Redskins' narrow, early playoff loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday hurt, the image of star rookie quarterback Robert Griffin, III., falling to the ground clutching his right knee in agony late in the fourth quarter was a grim sight for Redskins fans to see.

Griffin suffered an ill-timed knee injury in the second quarter, which affected him throughout the game until his knee visibly buckled halfway through the final quarter in the Redskins' 24-14 loss to the Seahawks on Sunday.

The incident re-aggravated an injury that Griffin--who is a favorite to win NFL Rookie of the Year honors after leading the Redskins to the NFC East title with a 10-6 record--sustained one month ago against the Baltimore Ravens.

As far as the severity of the knee injury is concerned, Griffin is scheduled to go for an MRI Monday to determine the damage, if any, to his knee.

Griffin, 22, set the league on fire this season with his unique brand of athleticism, a rare passing and rushing quarterback who threw for 3,200 yards and 20 touchdowns with a 102.4 quarterback rating while rushing for 815 yards.

The injury to the Redskins' new star quarterback has drawn fire at coach Mike Shanahan, who left Griffin in the game despite signs that the rookie sensation was struggling physically on the field.

Griffin threw for only 16 yards and ran for nine yards before the injury happened in the second quarter.

However, Griffin defended his decision to return to the game. "Many may question, criticize & think they have all the right answers. But few have been in the line of fire in battle," he posted on Twitter Monday.

USA Today Sports reported early on Sunday that Redskins team physician Dr. James Andrews never cleared Griffin to return last month against Baltimore, and had concerns about Griffin's recovery prior to the Sunday game.

On Twitter, Derrick Ward, who plays for the Houston Texans, tweeted, "Mike Shanahan should be fired for letting RG3 play today. Bottom line. You risk tearing his knee up to try to win and u see he isn't mobile."