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As NFL.com's Gregg Rosenthal framed it, “There was a time not so long ago when Robert Griffin III was considered the brightest young star in football. Now his departure from the Redskins feels like little more than paperwork."

According to multiple reports, Griffin was informed he will be released Monday. Griffin acknowledged the reports via Twitter, saying: "It was a blessing guys. I just want to say thank you."

Although the move comes as no surprise, it does serve as a stark reminder for fantasy football owners about the transitory nature of stardom.

Indeed, as Rosenthal suggested, the only real surprise here was that it took so long for the Redskins to finalize, but they wanted to make sure that starter Kirk Cousins was under contract for 2016 before making anything official. Cousins signed his franchise tag tender last week.

There was never any real chance, however, the Redskins weren't going to part ways with Griffin, who was $16.155 million this season.

A standout rookie campaign in 2012 made RGIII a superstar after being drafted No. 2 overall, culminating in a Redskins playoff berth and NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year honors over Andrew Luck. His career was never the same, however, after tearing his ACL and MCL in the Redskins' playoff loss to the Seattle Seahawks.

Griffin wound up getting benched under two coaches: Mike Shanahan and Jay Gruden. Griffin was named the team's starter last offseason by Gruden, but never got his job back after suffering a preseason loss to the Lions last August 20. Griffin was one of the least effective starters in the league in 2014, with four touchdowns and six picks in seven starts. He did not appear comfortable in Gruden's offense and didn't use his mobility as a weapon nearly as much as he did as a rookie.

That doesn't mean there won't be teams interested in securing his services.

In fact, after interviews with a half-dozen front-office talent evaluators, Bleacher Report's Mike Freeman reported last week that "at least 10 teams are giving Griffin a hard look. Maybe 15. Maybe more."

According to Freeman, teams feel they can remake Griffin off the field and transform him into a reliable pocket passer and leader on it. He's just 26 years old, as one team executive pointed out. There's still time for him to become a franchise quarterback, and right now, a team can get him for relatively nothing.

The team officials Freeman interviewed believe the most likely landing spot for Griffin is Los Angeles, Cleveland or Houston. All three teams could use a starter.

There are also teams that want or need backups -- Dallas, possibly Kansas City or San Francisco. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport included the Broncos on that list. Playing behind an established starter where Griffin's big name is less of a story could be his best route.

We'll be watching for more.