Griffin's Walking Boot Opens the Door for Jaylen Smith—and a Built-In Excuse

Michael Griffin's injury conveniently coincides with a defense that surrendered a franchise-record 377 rushing yards; now second-year Canadian Jaylen Smith is taking first-team dime reps. With Griffin sidelined and Jordan Younger preaching "pain teaches," the move looks less like an injury fill-in and more like a quiet demotion for a veteran who was part of that historic collapse.