FILE PHOTO: Aug 9, 2018; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Ravens quarterback Robert Griffin III (3) looks to pass before the game against the Los Angeles Rams at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
August 25, 2018
Quarterback Robert Griffin III’s chance to remain with the Baltimore Ravens during the regular season will go “right to the wire,” according to head coach John Harbaugh.
Veteran Joe Flacco and rookie Lamar Jackson, a first-round pick, already have their spots on the roster secured, so Griffin’s NFL future in Baltimore will depend on whether the Ravens decide to keep three quarterbacks, something they haven’t done since 2009.
“There’s no question that the best quarterback thing to do would be to keep Robert Griffin,” Harbaugh told reporters. “He’s proven it. He’s played exceptionally well, and it makes the team better.”
Jackson has been consistent during the preseason, though, completing 18 of 43 passes (41.9 percent) for 201 yards while rushing for 72 yards on 17 carries in three games. If there’s any doubt he can be Flacco’s primary backup, the Ravens will likely keep Griffin.
“That’s going to be a choice that will be well-discussed within the next couple of weeks and already has been,” offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg said.
Griffin’s stats look much better than Jackson’s. Griffin has completed 18 of 26 passes (69.2 percent) for 177 yards with two touchdowns and one interception.
“It doesn’t feel like I’ve been away from the game for an entire year,” said Griffin, who was out of the league last season after inconsistency and injuries marked his early career with the Washington Redskins and Cleveland Browns following his No. 2 overall selection in the 2012 NFL Draft. “It’s truly a blessing to be playing again. I enjoy it. It doesn’t matter if it’s first quarter or fourth quarter.”
He was signed to a one-year, $1.1 million contract by the Ravens after an offseason workout, with only the $100,000 signing bonus guaranteed.
Of Griffin, Harbaugh said, “He has played at a starting-caliber level in the games that he’s played, and he’s an experienced guy. I’d rather have him than not have him, for sure, but there are other factors that go into that and we’ll have to figure all that out. [General manager] Ozzie ultimately will have to make that decision.”
–Field Level Media
