The Cleveland Browns could have Robert Griffin III behind center for their matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals following the bye.
RG3 has been fully cleared for contact, head coach Hue Jackson told reporters Tuesday. He has yet to determine if the quarterback will start when the team plays next, however.
“Let’s be honest,” Jackson said, per Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. “I’m sure he has to get the rust off a little bit, but hopefully, we’ll see where he is and if they clear him for contact then we we’ll know more as we move forward.”
The Browns were previously said to be hopeful Griffin would start again this year, per a report (more on that here).
With no wins on the season, there is no reason not to see what the franchise might have in Griffin, who was once the NFL’s brightest young star back in 2012 when he won the league’s Offensive Rookie of the Year award.
But injuries have since dimmed the young quarterback’s prospects. He still has many of the same tools that made him such a hot prospect, though it must be noted he never did learn to conform to the NFL game. His best season came as he played in an offense tailored to his skill set, rather than one that features a traditional pocket passer.
Hue Jackson is known as a quarterback whisperer and could be the man to resurrect Griffin’s career. But he’ll have to have protection in order to have a successful career. That’s not something Cleveland can offer right now.