The Cleveland Browns’ situation just got a little healthier — and a little murkier. Robert Griffin III, the team’s starter in Week 1, returned to practice Wednesday, and the Browns have 21 days to activate him. If Cleveland decides not to, he will remain on injured reserve for the rest of the season.
Robert Griffin III is back to practice for the Browns
The Browns have 21 days to activate RG3, who was injured in Week 1.
Mitch Stringer-USA TODAY Sports
After his first practice in months, Griffin was optimistic about his chances of contributing again this season:
In a 29-10 loss against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 1, Griffin fractured his shoulder 45 minutes into the game.
Griffin will rejoin a unstable depth chart for an 0-11 team. The Browns cycled through five quarterbacks in seven games after Griffin went down with injury. Josh McCown took his place in Week 2 and promptly injured his shoulder.
That handed the reins to rookie third-round draft choice Cody Kessler, who suffered minor injuries through the first half of the season that led to snaps for Kevin Hogan, Charlie Whitehurst, and current wide receiver Terrelle Pryor.
Kessler has given Cleveland a glimmer of hope in an otherwise wretched season. Through his first eight games, the first-year passer had completed 65.6 percent of his passes and has thrown six touchdowns. His quarterback rating of 92.6 was nearly 20 points higher than anyone else on the Browns’ roster.
However, in a 24-9 defeat against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 11, Kessler suffered a concussion in the third quarter and didn’t return. McCown relieved him and threw for 118 yards and a touchdown. Following the loss, head coach Hue Jackson named McCown the team’s starter and said Kessler might be shut down for the rest of the season.
Still, logic suggests Cleveland would give a healthy Griffin as many opportunities to prove his worth as possible before heading into an uncertain offseason and an NFL draft with several quarterbacks at the top of its eligible players list.
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