Mike Shanahan tears Robert Griffin III’s heart out on national TV

Robert Griffin III was ready to go -- all dressed out in full pads, brace on his knee, fully warmed up for the Washington Redskins’ “Monday Night Football” exhibition game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Of course, the star quarterback had already been told there was no chance of him playing in any exhibition games as he recovers from off-season knee surgery.

But that didn’t stop Coach Mike Shanahan from having a little fun at RG3’s expense. When backup quarterback Kirk Cousins went down with a foot injury during the first quarter, Shanahan momentarily floored Griffin by gesturing toward the field and asking if he wanted to give it a shot.

Psych!

Shanahan immediately laughed and clarified that he was just kidding. Lucky for him Griffin thought the prank was hysterical, and the two men who have been at odds as to when exactly the reigning rookie of the year should start playing again shared a hearty chuckle.

Griffin and Cousins are projected to be available for the regular-season opener. In the meantime, Redskins fans are likely to experience a heavy dose of another RG3 -- third-stringer Rex Grossman (full name, Rex Daniel Grossman III).

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