Browns hand reins to Griffin III

BEREA, Ohio — Robert Griffin III saw his football career flash before his eyes, but he never surrendered.

His perseverance prevailed Monday when Browns coach Hue Jackson formally named him the franchise’s 25th starting quarterback since 1999. Although the decision had been clear for weeks, if not months, the official word from Jackson represented a significant triumph for Griffin after he experienced one of the most dramatic downfalls in NFL history.

“When you’re going through tough times or going over hurdles in life, you always have to realize those who don’t give up are the ones that end up winning in the end,” Griffin said. “So just try to get better at what you can and control what you can and pray that God takes care of the rest.”

Griffin took the vast majority of the first-team snaps throughout spring practices, and he has done the same thus far in training camp. Josh McCown has worked with the No. 2 offence.

In the past few practices, Griffin has been in a groove. He threw two touchdown passes in a live scrimmage Friday and another two in a non-padded scrimmage Saturday at Ohio Stadium in Columbus. Griffin had been inconsistent throughout the spring, but the strides he’s made in the past week have helped the offence steal the spotlight in the early stages of camp. His deep passes have been particularly impressive.

“It’s time. Robert has earned the right to be named the starting quarterback of the Cleveland Browns,” Jackson said. “Since he was signed back in March, Robert has made it clear through his actions that he is willing to do everything that has been asked of him to earn this role.”