Multiple reports Monday morning indicate the Washington Redskins have released quarterback Robert Griffin III and defensive end Jason Hatcher.
The new league year begins at 4 p.m. ET on Wednesday, but the Washington Redskins reportedly were getting a head start on some roster moves Monday morning.
The team has informed quarterback Robert Griffin III of his release, according to multiple reports, including the NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Defensive end Jason Hatcher has also indicated, via Instagram post, that his time with the Redskins has ended.
Griffin III endured an up-and-down tenure with the Redskins. The second-overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, Griffin III took the league by storm his rookie season, capturing AP Offensive Rookie of the Year honors and leading Washington to its first NFC East title since the 1999 season.
That season, Griffin III enjoyed one of the best seasons by a dual-threat quarterback in NFL history, completing 258-of-293 passes for 3,200 yards with 20 passing touchdowns to just five interceptions, while rushing 120 times for 815 yards and seven scores.
But Griffin III suffered a gruesome right knee injury in the Redskins' Wild Card playoff round matchup against the Seattle Seahawks, and never quite got back to the same player he was in 2012.
After rehabbing the entire offseason, Griffin III got himself ready for Week 1 of the 2013 season. In 13 games, he completed 274-of-456 passes for 3,203 yards with 16 touchdowns to 12 interceptions. He also ran the ball 86 times for 489 yards.
In 2014, under new head coach Jay Gruden, Griffin III was poised to start anew. But early in their Week 2 matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars, he suffered a dislocated ankle, keeping him out until Week 9 against the Minnesota Vikings. He would end up alternating with Colt McCoy at the quarterback position to end the season.
Then, last season, Griffin III was named the team's starting quarterback heading into offseason workouts and training camp. But after a rocky second preseason game -- one in which he was sacked (three times) more than passes completed (two), and one in which he suffered a concussion -- Gruden elected to go with Kirk Cousins from that point forward.
Cousins would go on to set several franchise quarterback records in 2015, and lead the team to the NFC East crown. Griffin III, the No. 3 quarterback the entire season, was active for just one game.
Hatcher, meanwhile, joined the Redskins in March 2014 as one of the Redskins' most high-profile acquisitions in free agency. He signed in Washington following a Pro Bowl season in 2013 in which he led Dallas with a career-high 11 sacks, including eight against divisional opponents.
A leader in the locker room, Hatcher couldn't find the same level of success with the Redskins, however. He started all 13 games in which he appeared in 2014 with Washington, adding 25 tackles (15 solo), 5.5 sacks and a fumble recovery.
In 2015, Hatcher had 20 tackles, two sacks, a pass defensed and a forced fumble. At 33, he hinted at the possibility of retirement following the Redskins' postseason loss to the Green Bay Packers in January, but has since indicated he might try to play at least one more season in the NFL.
Check back with Redskins.com for more on this developing story, and be sure to follow @Redskins on Twitter for all the latest.
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