By Max Calderone | Sports Writer
Former Baylor quarterback and 2011 Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III has signed a one-year contract with the Baltimore Ravens as announced Wednesday.
Griffin last played in the NFL for the Cleveland Browns in 2016, appearing in just five games and throwing for 866 yards and two touchdowns.
Injuries had derailed the career of the once promising NFL prospect, the latest a shoulder injury in the Browns’ 2016 season opener that caused Griffin to be placed on injured reserve.
After a year away from football following being released by Cleveland in March of 2017, Griffin signed a one-year deal with the Ravens to serve as the backup for Joe Flacco, a 10-year veteran and Super Bowl winning quarterback in 2012.
Ravens’ head coach John Harbaugh said he is excited about bringing Griffin on to the team’s roster and feels like he is one of the best available backup quarterbacks in the league.
“He’s a very talented quarterback who’s had a lot of success in this league early on,” Harbaugh told reporters on Wednesday. “We felt like we needed a No. 2 quarterback. I’m pretty excited about this player. I’m really feeling like we got a steal.”
Griffin was drafted No. 2 overall by the Washington Redskins in the 2012 NFL Draft on his way to winning Offensive Rookie of the Year in his first professional season, throwing for 3,200 yards with 20 touchdowns, adding 815 yards on the ground with seven rushing TD’s.
RGIII is just 1,017 yards away from eclipsing the 10,000 yard mark for his career. He has scored a combined 52 times through the air and on the ground and holds a career 88.4 quarterback rating.
Baylor fans remember Griffin as being a four-year starter, leading the Bears to an Alamo Bowl win in 2011, his redshirt junior season. He threw for 4,293 yards with 37 touchdowns and rushed for another 699 yards, adding 10 scores on the ground on his way to becoming the school’s first-ever Heisman Trophy award winner.
Burleson junior Abby Jennings said she can’t wait to see Griffin return to action as she’s been a big fan of RGIII’s since his days as the Bears’ quarterback.
“I’m excited for him, I loved watching him play at Baylor,” Jennings said. “I think he’s a great guy and he definitely deserves it.”
Griffin posted a hashtag on Twitter early Wednesday morning that read “#PlayLikeARaven” to announce his return to the NFL.
The Ravens finished 9-7 in 2017 and did not make the playoffs.
