Robert Griffin III

Robert Griffin III is “very, very, very close” to returning to the Redskins’ lineup, Coach Jay Gruden said Tuesday. But the team still has not decided if it will happen Sunday in Minnesota or after the bye week.

“We’re not going to rush Robert back no matter what happens,” Gruden said on a conference call with reporters, asked whether Colt McCoy's performance in Dallas has changed Griffin's timeline at all. “We’re going to make sure he’s 100-percent. And until we feel like he’s 100-pecent, Colt will still play. And Colt did a great job, obviously, leading us to victory against Dallas.”

Gruden added: “But it’s all going to be predicated on when a doctor say he’s 100-percent, when Robert feels like he’s 100-percent and when I feel like he’s ready to take game-time reps.”

Griffin, who has been sidelined since Week 2 with a left ankle injury, was inactive for a sixth straight game on Monday night in Dallas, where McCoy shook off some early struggles and directed the Redskins to a 20-17 win in overtime.

The story added that after the game against Dallas, Griffin said he had hoped to return against the Cowboys but the Redskins’ medical team and coaching staff decided it would be best if he sat out a bit longer. How much longer could be determined in the coming days, according to Gruden. After an off day Tuesday, the players return to Redskins Park for a light practice on Wednesday. Thursday and Friday will be normal workdays and, sometime after that, Gruden will make his decision on a starter, according to the story. The bye week follows the Minnesota game and it may be a logical opportunity to get RGIII an extra week of health. For those interested in RGIII, his schedule starts to look pretty good after the bye week with lots of "green" featured on his SOS profile. The way things stand now, only the 49ers (Week 12) is a tough matchup on paper between Weeks 11-16.