Robert Griffin III (commonly referred to as RG3) is facing some scrutiny after comparing an LSU quarterback and Jesus. The controversial comment came when LSU faced off against Ole Miss in September. LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels was sacked by multiple defenders when RG3 made the eyebrow-raising remark. “They lifted that man up to the sky like he was Jesus, letting him know they were gonna put him on the cross right there,” he said. Ole Miss ultimately won the game 55-49.

It wasn’t long before the comment was causing some chatter on social media. “Did I just hear this announcer in the LSU-Ole Miss game say ‘they just lifted that man up to the sky like Jesus to put him on the cross’?” tweeted 247 Sports correspondent Brad Crawford. He went on to add, “What a ridiculous line from ESPN announcer Robert Griffin III. ‘Lifted him up right there like he was Jesus on the cross.'” Barrett Sallee of CBS Sports stated that the comment should “require an apology.”

This isn’t the first time RG3 has been under fire for something he said. In 2022, Griffin offered a defense of Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts. “People said that Jalen Hurts couldn’t get it done, he could not break from the pocket, he’s not the quarterback of the future. I think he proved all those jigaboos wrong,” he said. The use of “jigaboos” sparked controversy as being a racial slur. RG3 came to social media to insist he had intended to say “bug-a-boos.” “Regardless of my intention, I understand the historical context of the term that came out of my mouth, and I apologize,” he wrote.

Prior to that controversy, Griffin was criticized for a reference he made to allegations of indecent exposure against former receiver Antonio Brown. “AB showed more D than the Lions and Seahawks did today,” wrote Griffin in comparison to a game between the Seattle Seahawks and the Detroit Lions. For his part in this latest controversy, RG3 has stated his belief in Christ. In speaking with the “Faith on the Field” podcast in 2021, RG3 stated his faith helps him to move forward despite not being perfect. “I am a believer…I know I’m not perfect. I haven’t been perfect my entire life. I’ve made mistakes, but I think God understands that, and that’s about a relationship with God, to be able to confess your sins and move forward.” He stated that he also tries to be a “beacon” to others. “So, for me, when I talk about my faith, I try to live in a way that exudes that faith. I’m not trying to pressure anybody. You know, I’m not trying to say, ‘Hey, you have to do it this way.’ I’m just trying to be a beacon in the light by the way that I live and by the way that I talk and go about my life.”