By Conor Orr
Around The NFL Writer
Published: Sept. 12, 2016 at 02:26 p.m.
Updated: Sept. 12, 2016 at 02:57 p.m.
The Robert Griffin III era has hit a serious snag in Cleveland.
The former rookie of the year and voted captain of the 2016 Browns has been placed on injured reserve after sustaining a serious injury to his non-throwing (left) shoulder in Sunday's season opening loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Griffin passed for 190 yards and rushed for another 37 in what could end up being his only start of the season. The new injured reserve policy does not force a team to identify their IR-designated to return candidate up front, so there is a chance Griffin could make it back in early November after missing at least eight games.
"It's very unfortunate, Robert came in and has worked extremely hard to learn our offense and earn the respect of his teammates," Browns coach Hue Jackson said in a statement released by the club on Monday. "This is a tough loss because everyone has seen how invested he has been in this team and his dedication to the work needed to improve his craft. We all know these are the realities of the NFL, injuries occur and you have to find ways to overcome them so they don't impede your progress. Robert will do everything in his power to rehab and get healthy but Josh McCown is on this roster for a reason and we have great confidence in him. He is more than capable. His veteran presence has been an asset to our team throughout our process of preparing for the season. We look forward to him assuming the role of the starter and leading our offensive unit."
This cannot be looked at as anything but a devastating blow to the Browns. A team so firmly in rebuilding mode, Cleveland tied its immediate hopes to the chance that Griffin could reclaim his form from an electric 2012 season in Washington. A preseason showed some promise and the development of new offensive targets before a lackluster, 10-point performance to start the season. Jackson lauded Griffin's growth under his short time as a head coach and seemed to favor the prospect of saving Griffin instead of taking current Eagles starter Carson Wentz with the No. 2 pick in the NFL Draft.
The focus now turns to 37-year-old Josh McCown, who started eight games with the Browns a season ago, going 1-7 in the process. The Browns had plenty of trade offers for McCown thanks to a rash of preseason quarterback injuries, but thankfully held on. Their only other option at the moment is rookie third-round pick Cody Kessler.
At this point, the team is just hoping they can see some development from a horde of rookies that they hope will make up the bedrock of a future turnaround. First-round pick Corey Coleman caught two passes for 69 yards against the Eagles.
Around The NFL Writer
Published: Sept. 12, 2016 at 02:26 p.m.
Updated: Sept. 12, 2016 at 02:57 p.m.
The Robert Griffin III era has hit a serious snag in Cleveland.
The former rookie of the year and voted captain of the 2016 Browns has been placed on injured reserve after sustaining a serious injury to his non-throwing (left) shoulder in Sunday's season opening loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Griffin passed for 190 yards and rushed for another 37 in what could end up being his only start of the season. The new injured reserve policy does not force a team to identify their IR-designated to return candidate up front, so there is a chance Griffin could make it back in early November after missing at least eight games.
"It's very unfortunate, Robert came in and has worked extremely hard to learn our offense and earn the respect of his teammates," Browns coach Hue Jackson said in a statement released by the club on Monday. "This is a tough loss because everyone has seen how invested he has been in this team and his dedication to the work needed to improve his craft. We all know these are the realities of the NFL, injuries occur and you have to find ways to overcome them so they don't impede your progress. Robert will do everything in his power to rehab and get healthy but Josh McCown is on this roster for a reason and we have great confidence in him. He is more than capable. His veteran presence has been an asset to our team throughout our process of preparing for the season. We look forward to him assuming the role of the starter and leading our offensive unit."
This cannot be looked at as anything but a devastating blow to the Browns. A team so firmly in rebuilding mode, Cleveland tied its immediate hopes to the chance that Griffin could reclaim his form from an electric 2012 season in Washington. A preseason showed some promise and the development of new offensive targets before a lackluster, 10-point performance to start the season. Jackson lauded Griffin's growth under his short time as a head coach and seemed to favor the prospect of saving Griffin instead of taking current Eagles starter Carson Wentz with the No. 2 pick in the NFL Draft.
The focus now turns to 37-year-old Josh McCown, who started eight games with the Browns a season ago, going 1-7 in the process. The Browns had plenty of trade offers for McCown thanks to a rash of preseason quarterback injuries, but thankfully held on. Their only other option at the moment is rookie third-round pick Cody Kessler.
At this point, the team is just hoping they can see some development from a horde of rookies that they hope will make up the bedrock of a future turnaround. First-round pick Corey Coleman caught two passes for 69 yards against the Eagles.
