ASHBURN, Va. (AP) — On Wednesday morning the Washington Redskins were awaiting word as Robert Griffin III was undergoing surgery – to be followed by rehabilitation that could keep him on the sidelines when next season starts, if not longer.

Meanwhile, teammates were defending the rookie quarterback’s decision to keep playing after reinjuring his right knee. Griffin also chimed in. He did not appear in the locker room during the two hours it was open to reporters Monday morning but he offered some thoughts on Twitter.

“Many may question, criticize & think they have all the right answers. But few have been in the line of fire in battle,” Griffin tweeted. Already playing with a heavy black brace in his third game since spraining a lateral collateral ligament, Griffin hurt the knee again when he fell awkwardly while throwing a pass in the first quarter of Sunday’s 24-14 playoff loss to the Seattle Seahawks and their quarterback Russell Wilson, like Griffin, a rookie.

Griffin stayed in the game but he was far from his usual self, clearly favoring the knee and unable to run with the world-class speed that helped define his play early in the season.

Then, in the fourth quarter with the Redskins trailing by 7, the knee buckled the wrong way when Griffin tried to field a bad shotgun snap. The Seahawks recovered the fumble deep in Washington territory, setting up a short field goal that helped put the game out of reach. Griffin was done for the evening.

If Griffin had been pulled earlier, the critical turnover might not have happened. And, of course, his knee probably wouldn’t be hurt as badly as it is.