Robert Griffin III's return to the NFL is going to last beyond the preseason.
The Baltimore Ravens are keeping Griffin as part of the team's 53-man roster, NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported. The Ravens later made the news official.
Griffin entered camp as an afterthought, thanks to Baltimore's first-round selection of Lamar Jackson and Joe Flacco's intent on keeping his job. Griffin signed about as ho-hum of a contract as you'll find for quarterbacks -- a one-year deal with a base salary of $1 million, plus a small signing bonus -- just to find work in the NFL.
But his play spoke differently. Starting with the Hall of Fame Game (a 7-of-11, 58-yard night with one interception), Griffin shined for most of the preseason, displaying composure typical of a veteran, but not one who spent 2017 out of football. In four games, Griffin completed 22 of 38 passes for 313 yards, three touchdowns and the one interception (which went through the hands of the since-released Breshad Perriman). He looked worthy of a backup job.
But the conundrum of what to do with the final roster remained, thanks to the investment Jackson. As a first-round pick, he's guaranteed a spot. Flacco isn't going anywhere, either. Some teams keep two quarterbacks; others keep three. Baltimore tended to be the former in recent years.
Those signs didn't look promising, no matter how well Griffin played. His healthy scratch from Baltimore's fifth and final preseason game was left open for individual interpretation: The Ravens could have seen enough to be pleased with his play, or they could have been protecting him from injury to preserve his value on the trade market.
For now, it's the first, not the second. That could change quickly -- the Raiders just acquired AJ McCarron via trade, for example -- but for now, Griffin is a Raven as we enter Week 1.
