Robert Griffin was once considered a franchise quarterback. But, he hasn’t been considered such in sometime. He has spent the past two seasons as a backup quarterback with the Baltimore Ravens.
Appearing on the Matt Mosley Show, Griffin said he wants to be a starter again.
“I do want to be a starter again. I’m 30 years old. Quarterbacks are playing into their 40’s now. There’s a lot of time left to still go achieve all the dreams and goals I set for myself.”
Robert Griffin III
Griffin won the 2011 Heisman Trophy and carried that momentum to the NFL. The second overall pick of the Washington Redskins in 2012, Griffin exploded on the scene, leading the Redskins to the 2012 NFC East division title as a rookie. He earned Offensive Rookie of the Year, beating out Andrew Luck and Russell Wilson, who two had strong rookie campaigns.
However, Griffin suffered a torn ACL in a playoff loss to the Seattle Seahawks. He never was quite the same dynamic player. The injuries mounted and his play suffered. He started 20 games between the 2013 and 2014 season. In 2015, Griffin was benched in favor of Kirk Cousins.
Griffin signed with the Cleveland Browns in 2016 and won the starting job. Yet, he suffered a shoulder injury that derailed his season. He then signed with the Ravens in 2018 where he has remained in the backup role.
The Ravens’ starting quarterback, Lamar Jackson, has emerged as the franchise quarterback, many thought Griffin would have been for the Redskins. Jackson has led the Ravens to the postseason in each of his first two seasons while he won NFL MVP last season.
Meanwhile, Griffin appears happy in his role in Baltimore. He stressed the Ravens have been a “top-notched” organization. He added he can see himself as Jackson’s backup “for the foreseeable future.”
“Right now, with where I’m at in Baltimore, just trying to maximize that opportunity. Who knows? Maybe I’ll be in Baltimore for the foreseeable future playing the role I am now but getting compensated more for it, or I’ll be able to go out and compete to be a starter again somewhere in the league.”
Robert Griffin III
Griffin appeared in seven games last season, mostly in mop up duty with the Ravens holding big leads. He started the regular season finale with Baltimore having already locked up home-field advantage for the playoffs. Griffin is still considerably young at the age of 30. There is still time for him to surge back into the starting role he once had.
