Unlike Derrick Rose, RG3 didn't deal with knee soreness after major knee surgery

Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III called it a “blessing” that he didn’t have to deal with knee soreness during his comeback from major knee surgery like Bulls star Derrick Rose has recently.

Griffin underwent surgery on Jan. 9 to repair a partially torn lateral collateral ligament in his right knee. His anterior cruciate ligament also was stabilized after he tore it at Baylor.

Rose missed all of last season for the Bulls after tearing his ACL in the 2012 playoffs. He sat out the Bulls’ preseason game Saturday in Rio De Janeiro with knee soreness. The team called it “precautionary.”

“I didn’t have any [soreness] and it’s a blessing,” Griffin said. “Every knee injury and surgery is a little bit different. It’s not a shot at anyone else if they come back and have soreness. It’s just how their body reacts to it and I was just blessed not to have any soreness.”

Griffin, though, hasn’t been as productive in his second season. Running the pistol offense, Griffin passed for 3,200 yards, 20 touchdowns and five interceptions and ran for 815 yards and seven scores last year.

Griffin, who didn’t play in the preseason, has only run for 149 yards in five games this season, while completing 59.8 percent of his passes for 1,448 yards, six touchdowns and five interceptions.

Does he feel like the Redskins are protecting him with their play calls?

“No,” Griffin said. “I feel like they need to me to go out there and be a playmaker, and that’s what they’re asking me do.”