Cleveland Browns vs Pittsburgh Steelers, January 1, 2017
Cleveland Browns quarterback Robert Griffin III thinks he revived his career and that he can win games for the Browns.
(John Kuntz)
BEREA, Ohio - The Browns rescued Robert Griffin III off the scrap heap in the offseason, and he believes he re-established himself as an NFL starter in his five starts.
"I'm not and idiot,'' Griffin said Monday. "I know a lot of people were writing me off as a player, as a quarterback, saying I couldn't do it. And to go out and show that I can, I think that proves a lot of people wrong.''
Griffin, sporting a "Know Your Why'' sweatshirt and an "I'm different'' wristband, knows he might not be back, but believes he resuscitated his career this season.
"To not play a lot of football in two years and finish the season the way we did, or the way I did personally, I feel good about it,'' he said. "But I'm not satisfied at all. So I'm going to go into this offseason hungrier than ever, ready to prove it all over again. Because that's what you have to do every single day. I don't think anybody's ever said I've been afraid of hard work, and that's never going to change.''
Griffin re-iterated that he wants to be back with the Browns, but knows the business side of the game. The Browns have the No. 1 overall pick and are looking hard at quarterbacks. They're also intrigued by Patriots quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, whom they might try to trade for.
"At the end of the (day) I want to win games,'' said Griffin. "Right now I'm here with the Cleveland Browns and I love these guys in this locker room. And I want to help them win here. And if I don't get that opportunity, then that's out of my control, I've done everything that I can to this point with the cards that I was dealt to try to put the best foot forward and let the chips fall where they may.'''
Griffin, who went 1-4 in his five starts on an injury-ravaged and young football team, believes he played his best football under Hue Jackson and associate head coach Pep Hamilton, who said recently that Griffin can be the Pro Bowler he was as a rookie and more.
"They bring the best out of me,'' said Griffin. "They challenge me every single day, and I love that. It's really just the way we see the game and then how they view me as a player and what I can do to help this team win.
"I think having them there to kind of help me not just be what everyone else wants me to be, but to be who I could be. And I think that's important.
Jackson acknowledged that Griffin improved, but he made no promises that he'll be back.
"I've seen him get better,'' Jackson said. "I see things to keep growing from. I'll watch it more in detail. There were some good things today. There were things that he can improve on. Every week he went out there and got better. I still think there's another level for him to play at. We'll evaluate and see if it's the right thing for us as we move on.''
Griffin stressed that he tried to make the best of a bad situation. He fractured his left shoulder in the opener and sat out the next 11 games. He returned for the final games, despite the bone not being fully healed.
"You've got to play the cards you're dealt and for me personally getting hurt early in the year was not part of my plan,'' he said. "It was a part of God's plan and his plan for this team so having an opportunity late in the year and play and give us a chance to win and give myself a chance to show what I can do I'm very grateful for that.
"I'm grateful for the guys in this locker room helping me to get to the point where I could play at a high level. You walk away and you have to say 'let God take care of the rest.' It's out of my hands now, there's nothing I can do from this point forward but just know I want to be here. I want to be here with these guys and turn this thing around."
He acknowledged that the Browns have a lot of work to do before deciding if Griffin will be back. He's due a $750,000 roster bonus in March, and is under contract for $6 million next season. If the Browns don't see him as a starter, they might not want to pay him that much.
"That's a process,'' said Griffin. "We're a long way from there. And that's not going to be decided by what any one person says in the next couple weeks or the next couple months. But there's one thing I can promise you: I'm not afraid of hard work and I'm not afraid to compete with anybody. I just hope that I'm here and have an opportunity to help this team turn things around."
Griffin said he wants to be back despite the 1-15 mark because of the makeup of the team.
"I've seen the way these guys work,'' he said. "I've had the honor and the pleasure to play with Joe Thomas, Joe Haden. These guys have been here for a long time. They haven't experienced the winning that I feel their careers and their talent and their leadership deserve. So that's why I want to be here. I want to be here for those guys to help them experience the spoils of victory that they deserve.
"Of course I want to play and I believe in coach Hue and coach Pep and what they've allowed me to do as a quarterback. And how I feel I can play at a high level with them. But that's why I want to be here. I want to be here for this city. This city reminds me so much of Waco and Baylor University when me and coach Briles first got there. The ability to turn this thing around like we did there, I think would be something truly special. And I want to be part of that.''