Robert Griffin III has said that he would be "comfortable" returning to the Washington Redskins starting lineup in the first week of the 2013 NFL season.

The quarterback is expected to miss the majority of the pre-season, having undergone surgery to reconstruct two knee ligaments at the start of the year.

The 2012 offensive rookie of the year told the Washington Post: "I've thought about that and yeah, I would be comfortable with that.

"That's all I can say. I have no control over whether I play in the pre-season or not. I would be comfortable running out of the tunnel at FedEx Field with the smoke and everything."

Head coach Mike Shanahan added: "You'd have to practise, not necessarily against an opponent. He'd have to work with the first-team offense and he'd have to have some practice time."

Griffin took part in his first practice session since sustaining the injury last week.