Not long ago, a hushed silence spread across Fedex Field as Robert Griffin III writhed on the ground, clutching his injured right knee.

Fans cringed as televisions showed Griffin’s knee, already strapped with a bulky brace, collapse inwardly. It was later confirmed that the Redskins’ franchise quarterback had torn his ACL and LCL. Griffin is still rehabbing for the upcoming season.

Recently, surgeon James Andrews called Griffin superhuman, compared him to super athletes Bo Jackson and Adrian Peterson and suggested his recovery time table will be different that of a “normal human”.  Although Andrews deserves much credit for successfully repairing Griffin’s busted knee, Andrews should restrain himself from comparing RG3 to Peterson and Jackson or any other athlete for that matter.

If Andrews feels so strongly as he does about Griffin’s ability to bounce back from his horrific injury, Redskins fans should be encouraged. However, it does Griffin no favors to compare him to athletes of Peterson and Jackson’s caliber, even if the comparison is accurate. It sets the bar too high for Griffin and puts him under an excessive amount of pressure as a rookie athlete. All of Griffin’s focus should be directed toward rehabbing his vulnerable knee and returning to playing shape.

Second, it’s dangerous to compare RG3 to Adrian Peterson, especially considering that Griffin is just over three months into his recovery. Griffin has torn his ACL twice, once in college and once in the NFL. The success rate for a second ACL reconstruction is significantly lower than that of the reconstruction for the first tear. Peterson raised the bar for ACL recoveries, amassing the second most single-season rushing yards of all-time. To use Peterson as the benchmark for his recovery is unwise.

Additionally, it’s risky to call Griffin superhuman. A major reason Griffin tore his ACL was his willingness to play hurt. Griffin has to learn that he’s not superhuman, that he’s not immune to serious injury and that he must balance his desire to play with the long-term ramifications of injuries such as the one he sustained in the playoffs.

Redskins coach Mike Shanahan and Andrews should take a Belchick-ean, tight-lipped approach to Griffin’s rehab to prevent fans and teammates from developing unrealistic expectations about Griffin’s return. With the bar set a little bit lower, it will be even sweeter if Griffin exceeds his preseason expectations.

Griffin already bears the weight of living up to his Super-Bowl-desperate city’s expectations. He would benefit from a relatively private rehab and reasonable expectations for the season. For this to happen, Dr. Andrews must avoid making useless comparisons and focus on his job: helping Griffin return to full strength.