The Redskins, and the endless search for a signal caller

1992.

The last time the Washington Redskins won the Super Bowl. And the last time their quarterback situation was a source of confidence, rather than controversy.

In 1992, the Redskins were at the tail end of a three-pronged quarterback dynasty, with dynamic deep passer Mark Rypien as their starting quarterback; the gunslinger with the golden arm who’d take home Super Bowl MVP honors that season, with the help of The Posse.

While the Redskins never had one single franchise quarterback in their golden age, they had a special kind of security at the quarterback position. Joe Theismann came and flourished for years, winning the NFL MVP award in 1983, embodying toughness and reliability at the position.

When Theismann was lost to a career-ending injury, Jay Schroeder stepped into the fold, and when he fell out of the starting picture, Doug Williams capitalized on the opportunity to cement his own legacy, leading the Redskins to a Super Bowl victory against Hall of Famer John Elway.

When Williams inevitably crumbled under the deteriorative effects of age and continuous contact, there was not the normal degree of intrigue surrounding the Redskins quarterback transition. They gave Rypien the starting job over Williams just one year after Williams’ Super Bowl run. The changeover would prove to be seamless, and Rypien would earn the team’s third title in under a decade.

29 years old at the time of his Super Bowl title, it was believed that Mark Rypien was just entering his prime, set to be the Redskins franchise quarterback for the next decade, putting an end to the volatility.

Instead, Rypien threw for four touchdowns and ten interceptions the next year, going 3-7 as the team’s starter. He’d join the Cleveland Browns the next year. He’d never be a full-time starter again. And the Redskins, unknowingly, would find themselves at the front end of a much, much more volatile era.

For the Redskins, the search for a signal caller is an endless one, with many ends, constituted of the names that pass through. Heath Shuler. Gus Frerotte. Trent Green. Brad Johnson. Jeff George. Tony Banks. Shane Matthews. Patrick Ramsey. Danny Wuerffel.  Mark Brunell. Jason Campbell. Donovan McNabb. Rex Grossman. John Beck. Robert Griffin III. Kirk Cousins.

Now, the end looms for Alex Smith, as his career status hovers in limbo; as he will try to return from a devastating injury. And now, the end looms for Colt McCoy, whose contract expires in 2020. Mark Sanchez served as the embodiment of the Redskins quarterback situation itself. And Josh Johnson showed that, while sparks of brightness can be found in unlikely places, perpetual light requires a stable circuit.

The Redskins have witnessed the end of countless quarterback stints over the past two decades, and with their situation uncertain, it appears as if little is due to change. But with each end, there is a new beginning. And this year, the Redskins once again have a festering desire to start anew, unknowingly stuck in a repetitive cycle that reeks of insanity.

Who will be the Redskins next beginning? Will it be Case Keenum, the beginning who will ultimately end, to bridge the next? Will it be Josh Rosen, the disillusioned Cardinals starter who could be granted a second beginning so quickly after his first? Or will it be one of the rookies? Kyler Murray? Drew Lock? Dwayne Haskins? Brett Rypien? Will Grier? Daniel Jones?

When nothing is certain, only one thing is: A new beginning is coming in Washington. And with it, comes the weight of the inevitable end.