Robert Griffin III - Pro Football Rumors

Robert Griffin III Still Open To NFL Return

July 4th, 2022 at 5:16pm CST by Adam La Rose

Robert Griffin III spent the past season at ESPN, after the network won a bidding war for his services as an analyst. He is in line to do so again in 2022, but the ex-Heisman winning QB still isn’t officially retiring.

Griffin enjoyed a successful transition from college to the NFL, earning Rookie of the Year honors in 2012 with Washington. Things changed quickly from then on, though, with knee injuries ending his tenure in the nation’s capital not long after. After a one-year stint in Cleveland in 2016, which came between campaigns spent out of the league, he came to Baltimore in 2018. He made a pair of starts during his three-year stay there, operating as experienced insurance behind Joe Flacco and, later, Lamar Jackson.

After he was let go by Baltimore last January, the 32-year-old joined ESPN (after FOX showed significant interest as well), becoming one of the more highly-anticipated broadcast arrivals in recent memory. Not surprisingly, though, his contract allowed him to pursue any opportunities to return to the field if they arose. Ultimately, he remained committed to his new career, as he is set to do for the foreseeable future.

“I still love to play, but right now I am just focused on doing the best as I can as a storyteller and giving back to football as much as I can,” the Baylor alum said, via Christopher Williams of KWTX. “[Broadcasting] is something that has been natural for me. Now, I just feel like it is on me and the people around me to continue to hold me accountable to be the guy that I know that I am. To be a storyteller… I am trying to aid these guys and give back to the sport – not take away from it. It is not about me, it is about the guys that are playing.”

Griffin made it clear, however, that he is still open to the idea of a return to playing. “I am ready to go right now. I train every day,” he said. While there has been nothing reported of any teams showing interest in him, he is nevertheless prepared for the situation changing at any time.

“[I]f I get that call this year, next year, or five years from now I will be ready to play.”

AFC Rumors: Jaguars, Williams, Van Roten, Leonard, Browns, Griffin III

May 8th, 2022 at 5:29pm CST by Ely Allen

After the Jaguars fired former head coach Urban Meyer, it became public that Jacksonville had no intentions of paying Meyer the remaining money on his contract, as he was being fired for cause. There was speculation at the time that the parties may follow existing precedents and negotiate a settlement in order to avoid a legal situation.

According to Jarrett Bell of USA Today, an anonymous source with knowledge of the situation informed the columnist that, to date, the two sides have been unable to strike a settlement agreement.

Here are a few other rumors from around the AFC, starting with a rumor out of South Beach:

The Dolphins should have plenty of options for their offensive line configuration, but it most likely hinges on what they do with interior offensive lineman Connor Williams. According to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, Miami isn’t quite sure what to do with Williams, working him at center and left guard over the past three weeks. The good news, is that it gives them plenty of options. With Terron Armstead solidified at left tackle and Robert Hunt solidly at right guard, Williams could fit at either position. If you put Williams at left guard, the team would likely have Michael Deiter start at center and leave Liam Eichenberg and Austin Jackson to compete for the starting right tackle job. If you start Williams at center, Eichenberg can slide in to the left guard job and Jackson can man the right tackle position.
The Jets recently released guard Greg Van Roten. According to Ralph Vacchiano of SNY, head coach Robert Saleh claimed that they released Van Roten because they believe he has the potential to start for other teams in the league. His release is meant to allow him to find those teams that would provide him a starting opportunity. Saleh was quoted saying they’d “love to have him back,” if he fails to find such opportunities.
Colts linebacker Darius Leonard had ankle surgery in June last year before the season. The surgery helped him to get healthy for the season, where he played every game but one and was named a first-team All-Pro for the third time in his career. While the ankle is still ailing him, Joel A. Erickson of the Indy Star reported that Leonard says the ankle is better now than it was at this point last year. This is an encouraging sign for Leonard and a scary message for the other teams in the AFC South. Leonard has been named to an All-Pro team every year of his career while being nagged by his ankle ailment. A healthy Leonard is a dangerous weapon for opposing teams to have to game-plan against.
With the return of free agent wide receiver Jarvis Landry seeming less and less likely, Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com believes the Browns will be able to push a bit harder now for free agent pass rusher Jadeveon Clowney to return. Cabot points out that drafting UAB pass rusher Alex Wright makes the need to sign Clowney a little less urgent, but also mentions that fellow pass rusher Myles Garrett wants Clowney back, which could help his case. Cabot claims that, if the two parties can’t agree to a new deal, Cleveland will consider former Bills defensive end Jerry Hughes instead.
We’ve all seen Rich Eisen of NFL Network run the 40-yard dash for charity. Well, this year, former NFL quarterback Robert Griffin III, currently an analyst for ESPN, participated and reportedly was clocked at 4.48 seconds. Mike Florio of NBC Sports reports that on Eisen’s show, Griffin made the claim that some teams took notice of his impressive run and reached out to him. This doesn’t necessarily mean that any teams have offered to bring him back to the NFL, but Griffin has publicly stated his desire to return to football in the past, even claiming that his contract with ESPN would allow him to sign with an NFL team if the opportunity presents itself. Griffin last spent time in the league as Lamar Jackson‘s back up on the Ravens. He filled in multiple times leading many to wonder if he still had the ability to lead an NFL offense based on his brief appearances.

Robert Griffin III Joins ESPN

August 5th, 2021 at 10:31am CST by Zachary Links

RGIII has agreed to join ESPN as an on-air personality (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). However, the free agent quarterback has an out clause in his contract that would allow him to return to the game, should an opportunity arise.

Griffin also drew interest from FOX with both networks eyeing him as a college football and NFL analyst. RG3 reportedly impressed in his on-camera auditions, prompting a bit of a bidding war. Ultimately, the 31-year-old went with the folks in Bristol.

Griffin has previously returned to the NFL after a hiatus. Griffin did not play in 2017 after he was cut by the Browns. The former Offensive Rookie of the Year signed with the Ravens in 2018, where he served as a backup — first for Joe Flacco, then for Lamar Jackson. Griffin, however, threw just one touchdown pass with four interceptions as a Raven with a 57% completion rate.

A hamstring injury ended Griffin’s 2020 campaign, prompting the Ravens to evaluate younger options like Trace McSorley and 2020 UDFA Tyler Huntley. The 2011 Heisman Trophy winner, meanwhile, may be done with football.

ESPN, Fox Pursuing Robert Griffin III

June 18th, 2021 at 5:59pm CST by Sam Robinson

While numerous backup quarterback types have changed teams this offseason, Robert Griffin III news has been scarce since the Ravens cut him earlier this year. Friday, however, brought news that would point to the veteran quarterback pausing or ending his playing career.

ESPN and Fox are interested in Griffin as a college football and NFL analyst, according to Outkick.com. RG3 wowed both networks in auditions earlier this year, Andrew Marchand of the New York Post notes. Fox’s interest prompted ESPN to increase its offer to the 31-year-old quarterback, Marchand adds.

Both networks, however, are waiting to see if RG3 will push to play in 2021. If he does not, it appears he will have high-profile off-field options — ones that would not necessarily end his playing career.

Griffin has returned to the NFL after a hiatus previously. After the Browns cut him in March 2017, Griffin did not play that season. The former Offensive Rookie of the Year signed with the Ravens in 2018, working as a backup for the past three seasons. Following Baltimore’s 2019 Joe Flacco trade, RG3 served as Lamar Jackson‘s primary backup for the past two seasons. Griffin, however, threw one touchdown pass and four interceptions as a Raven, completing 57% of his passes. A hamstring injury ended Griffin’s 2020 campaign.

The Ravens are going with younger passers behind Jackson for the time being. Trace McSorley and 2020 UDFA Tyler Huntley are vying for Baltimore’s QB2 role this year. That competition failing to produce a clear winner could prompt the Ravens to circle back to Griffin, but he has not been connected to the Ravens or another team this offseason.

Ravens Waive QB Robert Griffin III

January 19th, 2021 at 10:41am CST by Zachary Links

The Ravens have officially waived quarterback Robert Griffin III. The team will also cut defensive backs Davontae Harris and Tramon Williams, plus wide receiver De’Anthony Harris.

[RELATED: Ravens Cut Ingram]

The Ravens got a jump start on their spring cleaning this week by releasing Griffin & Co, plus running back Mark Ingram. It all amounts to a professional courtesy, since the Ravens were eliminated by the Bills on Saturday.

Griffin first joined the Ravens as a backup for Joe Flacco and stuck around to be Lamar Jackson‘s primary backstop. In three years, RG3 started twice and threw one touchdown against four interceptions. One of those starts came this year, a 19-14 loss to the rival Steelers.

The former No. 2 overall pick tweeted that “the best is yet to come,” an indication that he’ll seek another job in 2021. Griffin, who won the Heisman Trophy in 2011, turns 31 in February.

Ravens Place Robert Griffin III On IR

December 4th, 2020 at 3:06pm CST by Sam Robinson

The hamstring injury Robert Griffin III suffered Wednesday in Pittsburgh will result in a prolonged absence. This could complicate matters for the Ravens.

While RG3 going on IR would not normally affect Baltimore’s starting lineup, it is not yet known if Lamar Jackson will be ready to return when first eligible to come off the Ravens’ reserve/COVID-19 list. Jackson tested positive for the coronavirus on Nov. 26 and cannot return to practice until Sunday. The Ravens will host the Cowboys on Tuesday night.

Baltimore used third-stringer Trace McSorley — who was recently activated from the COVID list — at the end of Wednesday’s loss to the Steelers. He would be in line to start for the Ravens against the Cowboys, should Jackson require more recovery time.

RG3 struggled against the Steelers but brings extensive NFL experience McSorley obviously lacks. An eighth-year NFL vet, Griffin has been Jackson’s backup for three years. Griffin cannot resume his QB2 duties until at least Week 16.

While the Ravens will be without Griffin for a while, they did receive word Friday they will have more depth available against Dallas. Baltimore activated J.K. Dobbins, Matt Skura, Patrick Mekari and Pernell McPhee from the virus list.

The Ravens held Dobbins and Mark Ingram out of their thrice-rescheduled game in Pittsburgh. Both backs tested positive for COVID-19 but would have been eligible to return for Week 12. Dobbins being back in action will be a boon to a Ravens team suddenly on thin ice with regards to playoff qualification.

North Notes: Bevell, Lewis, Ravens, Browns

December 3rd, 2020 at 6:44pm CST by Sam Robinson

The first Lions interim head coach in 15 years, Darrell Bevell will have five games to run the team. While it should be expected the Lions go in a different direction when they make a full-time hire in 2021, Bevell said team president Rod Wood informed him he is not out of the picture for the permanent gig, per Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (on Twitter). Although Bevell was a Matt Patricia hire, the former Seahawks offensive coordinator did not join the Lions until Patricia’s second season. Prior to Bevell spending seven seasons as Seattle’s OC, he oversaw the Vikings’ Brett Favre offenses and held that job for five seasons. His latest offense ranks 20th, though it has been without Kenny Golladay for a big chunk of the season.

Here is the latest from the North divisions:

Mike Zimmer replaced defensive coordinator George Edwards by dividing the DC duties between his son (Adam Zimmer) and Andre Patterson. But the Vikings HC wanted a more experienced hand in the room, even before Edwards’ exit. Prior to Edwards’ 2020 departure, Mike Zimmer wanted to hire his former boss — ex-Bengals HC Marvin Lewis — as a defensive assistant, Dan Pompei of The Athletic notes (subscription required). This interest came in 2019, and Zimmer sought Lewis for a part-time role, Pompei adds. Lewis ended up on Herm Edwards‘ Arizona State staff, in an advisory role, last year and is now the Sun Devils’ co-defensive coordinator.
Robert Griffin III indeed suffered a hamstring pull in the Ravens‘ Wednesday loss to the Steelers, per Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic. He is not expected to practice when Baltimore reconvenes for workouts. The earliest Lamar Jackson could practice would be Sunday, which would give the Ravens starter one full practice and a Monday walkthrough in advance of a Tuesday return against the Cowboys. It is not known if Jackson will be ready by then, but he will be eligible to return after testing positive for the coronavirus on Nov. 26.
The Browns will not have one of their starters for a while. They placed Ronnie Harrison on IR this week, and Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com notes the third-year safety’s shoulder injury is expected to keep him out between four and six weeks. This is a big setback for the Browns; Pro Football Focus slots Harrison as its 12th-highest-graded safety this season. Cleveland’s secondary is already down Denzel Ward, who is rehabbing a calf strain.
Joe Burrow underwent surgery on his injured knee Wednesday, the Bengals announced in a brief statement. The No. 1 overall pick suffered ACL and MCL tears as well as other structural damage. He is not expected to be ready to return until around the start of next season.
Seeking kicker insurance in the COVID-19 era, the Packers worked out Roberto Aguayo, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com notes. The Packers, who have used Mason Crosby as their kicker since 2007, do not have a kicker on their practice squad currently. Aguayo has not caught on with a team since the Chargers cut him in 2018; the former second-round pick has not kicked in a game since his 2016 rookie season.

Ravens’ RG3 Drawing Trade Interest

March 10th, 2020 at 11:34am CST by Zachary Links

Ravens quarterback Robert Griffin III is drawing trade interest from other teams, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). Griffin is due $2MM in 2020, though that sum is completely non-guaranteed.

Griffin, 30, currently serves as the backup to superstar QB Lamar Jackson. It’s surprising to hear that the Ravens would entertain trades for him, though it’s possible that they would like to add to their draft stockpile while replacing him with another QB2. If the Ravens move on from Griffin and do not sign or draft another signal caller, they’d be left with Penn State product Trace McSorley as Jackson’s backstop.

Last year, Griffin was called upon to start in the season finale against the Jets. The Ravens won that game 28-10, though Griffin completed just over half of his pass attempts.

This isn’t the first time that Griffin has drawn trade interest during his Ravens tenure. In April of last year, the Jaguars reportedly expressed interest in the longtime Redskins star before inking Nick Foles to a massive free agent deal.

Griffin won the Heisman Trophy at Baylor and looked the part of a future NFL megastar in his rookie season with the Redskins. Health issues sidetracked him afterwards. No one expects Griffin to reprise his 2012 campaign, but he still holds lots of value for NFL teams.

AFC North Notes: OBJ, RG3, Steelers

December 12th, 2019 at 4:34pm CST by Sam Robinson

Developments over the past few days point to another complicated Odell Beckham Jr. offseason, but the Pro Bowler’s top Browns confidant does not believe he’s angling for a Cleveland departure. Multiple reports linked Beckham to being dissatisfied with his fit in the Browns’ offense, but Jarvis Landry said (video link via cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot) Thursday his longtime friend is not seeking to leave the team next year. Landry has outperformed Beckham this season, despite the latter being regarded as one of the game’s premier receivers and costing far more in a trade than the ex-Dolphin did. Beckham and Baker Mayfield have yet to form a reliable connection. It appears the Browns and their highest-profile player have a long way to go to ensure they are on the same page.

Heading into the Ravens’ opportunity to clinch their sixth AFC North title, is the latest from the AFC North:

Should the 11-2 Ravens win their next two games, they can lock up home-field advantage for the first time in franchise history. If that happens, do not expect Lamar Jackson to play in Week 17. If they can beat the Jets and Browns, the Ravens are expected to start Robert Griffin III in Week 17 against the Steelers, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com notes (Twitter link). This would certainly stand to aid the Steelers’ playoff hopes. RG3 has not started a game since 2016.
Speaking of the Steelers, they may not be able to afford Bud Dupree in free agency. Pittsburgh is unlikely to agree to terms on a long-term deal that would keep the improving outside linebacker off the market, Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writes. The Steelers could tag Dupree for nearly $16MM but do not have much cap space to make that work. (Though, they managed to work around similar constraints in tagging Le’Veon Bell twice.) The 2015 first-round pick has recorded a career-high (by far) 9.5 sacks this season.
The Steelers will attempt to keep nose tackle Javon Hargrave off the market, Dulac adds. Though, the fourth-year defensive lineman is expected to hit the market. Pittsburgh is projected to possess barely $5MM in cap space in 2020. The franchise’s propensity for restructuring deals notwithstanding, the team will face a difficult task extending Hargrave and Dupree before free agency opens.
Jonah Williams may not play in a game for the Bengals this year, but the first-round tackle will get in some practice work to close out a lost rookie season.

AFC Notes: Caserio, Patriots, Green, Bengals, Griffin, Ravens

July 27th, 2019 at 10:03pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Patriots exec Nick Caserio addressed the media today for the first time since the Texans’ ill-fated attempt to make him their general manager. Caserio dodged most of the questions, but while he outwardly expressed commitment to the Patriots, the press “session did nothing to kill the belief that Caserio isn’t happy with the way things played out,” writes Tom Curran of NBC Sports. “I love being here, and right now we’re focused on trying to get the team ready for this season. I’m happy to be here and I love what I do on a day-to-day basis,” Caserio said when asked if he was disappointed with the way things played out.

If he really is unhappy, fortunately he won’t have to wait too long. Caserio’s contract with the Patriots expires after the 2020 draft, and the Texans are widely expected to make another run at him then. Asked whether he wants to run a team some day, he did his best Bill Belichick impression. “I’m not really focused on the hypotheticals. I’m focused on today. Honestly, I’m focused on trying to be the best version of myself each and every day,” he said. It sounds like the Caserio/Patriots partnership is just waiting to end.

Here’s more from around the AFC on a busy Saturday:

There was a lot of panic earlier today when A.J. Green went down with a lower leg injury and had to be carted off at Bengals practice. Fortunately, it doesn’t appear it’s as bad as it could’ve been. The injury is believed to be an ankle sprain, sources told Albert Breer of SI.com, “but Green will have an MRI to make sure it isn’t something more serious.” The Bengals have already had bad injury luck this offseason, with projected starting left tackle Jonah Williams getting knocked out for the year, and this the last thing they needed. Green was hampered by injuries last year, and limited to nine games due to recurrent toe problems. If the Bengals are going to have any success under first-year coach Zac Taylor, they need Green at 100 percent.
Green wasn’t the only notable AFC North player to go down on Saturday. Ravens backup quarterback Robert Griffin III “has a small fracture in his thumb,” sources told Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic (Twitter link). He’ll be sidelined for a while, but the team is “still optimistic he’ll be ready for Week One.” Griffin injured his thumb when it banged against a defender’s helmet toward the end of Baltimore’s practice, Zrebiec explained in a separate tweet. Starter Lamar Jackson and rookie Trace McSorley are now the only two healthy quarterbacks on the roster, so the Ravens will likely be adding another passer in the next day or two.
In case you missed it, the Steelers are discussing an extension with cornerback Joe Haden.