Browns coach Hue Jackson said he isn’t ready to publicly name a starter for this weekend’s game against the Bengals, but most speculation about who will get the nod is centered on Robert Griffin III.
Griffin has been practicing for a little while and is expected to be formally restored to the 53-man roster this week so that he can make his second start of the season. His first resulted in the broken bone in his left shoulder that landed him on injured reserve, which leaves him eager to “give the team as much of a spark as I possibly can.”
Griffin said Monday that he is in the dark about Jackson’s plans for this week, but that he wants to be part of them beyond the end of this season regardless of the choice for Week 14.
“I don’t know, coach could wait until Sunday,” Griffin said, via Cleveland.com. “That’s why he’s got the HC on his hat and we all trust him in this locker room. I trust him, and it’s just a matter of do they feel I’m ready to play or do they feel like I need to take some more time. So whatever their decision is, I’ll be OK with it because I’m here to be a Cleveland Brown. I’m here to help this team, not just these last four weeks but into the future.’'
Griffin knows that future isn’t guaranteed and admitted that “the world could end tomorrow” while discussing the uncertainty of what’s ahead. He was waxing philosophical at that moment, but playing behind the 2016 Browns offensive line has felt that way on more than one occasion.