Robert Griffin III could be back in the starting lineup for Browns vs. Bengals

Robert Griffin III has re-joined the Cleveland Browns’ quest to avoid 0-16 ignominy. The veteran quarterback was cleared for full contact on Nov. 29 and could be back under center for the Browns’ Week 14 game against AFC North rival Cincinnati.

Head coach Hue Jackson said no decision would be made on the starting quarterback until after the Browns’ bye week.

“Let’s be honest,” Jackson told 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.”

Griffin signed with the Browns this offseason to add some stability to an oft-maligned depth chart. Instead, he became a rider on a carousel of quarterbacks ruined by injury in Ohio. Griffin’s first start with the team lasted only three quarters before he was knocked out of the game with a broken bone in his non-throwing shoulder.

The formerly rising star completed only 12 of his 26 pass attempts in a Week 1 loss to Philadelphia. His 55.0 passer rating is the worst of any Cleveland quarterback besides undrafted rookie free agent Kevin Hogan this fall.

His injury gave way to starts for rookie third-round pick Cody Kessler and veteran quarterback Josh McCown, who have each struggled with injuries this fall. Kessler left a Week 11 matchup with the Steelers with a concussion, but was cleared to return to the field one day before Griffin. McCown suffered a shoulder injury in Week 2, but has since returned to the field and been ineffective behind center.

Kessler has had his share of struggles as a first year pro, but showed signs of progress in 2016. The former USC standout has a higher passer rating than veterans like Eli Manning, Andy Dalton, and Carson Palmer this fall. However, he’s struggled to make a dent in the game’s most meaningful stat — wins.

It wasn’t always this depressing for Griffin. The former Heisman Trophy winner was the 2012 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year after scoring 27 touchdowns and gaining more than 4,000 total yards for Washington. However, his mobile, reckless style of play left him open for injury, and he eventually ceded his starting position to Kirk Cousins.

Washington allowed him to leave town as a free agent, and he wound up playing his games for a franchise where an opposing quarterback has a claim as the winningest passer on their home field. Griffin is only 26 years old and has plenty of time to reclaim the early career form that made him a star. Unless history changes for the Browns, he won’t do it in Cleveland.