Robert Griffin III admits he has ‘a massive chip on [his] shoulder’

Griffin told reporters that he signed with the Browns in large part because of the coaching staff -- specifically head coach Hue Jackson and quarterbacks coach Pep Hamilton.

“[I’m] just blessed to have an opportunity to grow here with Hue, Pep and this team,” Griffin said. “I just want to play ball, man. I’m excited to be here. Last year I didn’t have an opportunity to play football.”

Griffin, who was named the Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2012 but didn’t play a single snap last season, said that his uneven experience in Washington did nothing to rob him of his confidence, and that he won’t allow his previous struggles to cloud his future.

“I’m not trying to let any baggage hold me down from the past, but I do have a massive chip on my shoulder. I know this team has a massive chip on its shoulder.”

Griffin last played in the regular season in December 2014, and after he sustained a concussion during the preseason, RG3 permanently lost the starting job to Kirk Cousins. He admitted that it was tough not being able to play on Sundays last season.

“It’s one of those things that you love to do something so much and when that’s stripped away from you, one of two things can happen,” Griffin said. “You can either tank it and allow it to break you. Or you can let it build you up and show you that you really love this game. It was a process, last year. But I come here today more excited to be with these guys.”

Despite Cleveland’s reputation as a quarterback wasteland -- the Browns have had 24 different starting quarterbacks since 1999 -- Griffin wasn’t dissuaded from signing with his new team.

“I know the history, a little bit, of Cleveland,” Griffin said. “Guys sometimes don’t want to come here. I wanted to come here.”

Griffin hasn’t won the starting job yet, however. Veteran Josh McCown is still on the roster, and most mock drafts have the Browns taking a quarterback with the second pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. But Griffin said he wasn’t worried about who the Browns will draft.

“It’s really up to higher management. That’s way above my pay grade,” Griffin responded. “I didn’t sign on the dotted line to draft players. I came here because I want to play football.”

And if you thought that RG3 might feel extra pressure to be the savior under center given how much the franchise has struggled in the past two decades to cultivate a winning culture in Cleveland, think again. In closing the press conference, Griffin delivered the ultimate mic drop.

“No pressure, no diamonds.”