Browns starting quarterback Robert Griffin III suffered a fractured coracoid bone in his left shoulder Sunday late during a 29-10 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in the regular-season opener and will miss at least eight games this season, the team announced Monday afternoon.
Griffin has been placed on injured reserve. Each NFL team may designate one player to return from IR under new rules adopted for the 2016 season. Designation does not need to be made until the player is able to return to practice. A player placed on injured reserve is eligible to return to practice in six weeks and must miss a minimum of eight games.
The team announced surgery is not required at this time, but Griffin’s left shoulder will be re-evaluated in three to four weeks.
“It’s very unfortunate, Robert came in and has worked extremely hard to learn our offense and earn the respect of his teammates,” Browns coach Hue Jackson said in a statement. “This is a tough loss because everyone has seen how invested he has been in this team and his dedication to the work needed to improve his craft. We all know these are the realities of the NFL, injuries occur and you have to find ways to overcome them so they don’t impede your progress. Robert will do everything in his power to rehab and get healthy but Josh McCown is on this roster for a reason and we have great confidence in him. He is more than capable. His veteran presence has been an asset to our team throughout our process of preparing for the season. We look forward to him assuming the role of the starter and leading our offensive unit.”
McCown will start Sunday in the home opener against the Baltimore Ravens. Rookie third-round draft pick Cody Kessler is expected to be the backup.
McCown, 37, faced the Ravens twice last season and went 1-1.
On Oct. 11, he completed 36-of-51 passes (70.6 percent) for 457 yards and two touchdowns with a passer rating of 111.3 in a 33-30 overtime win in Baltimore. McCown set a single-game franchise record for passing yards in the regular season.
On Nov. 30, he went 21-of-38 passing (55.3 percent) for 212 yards and a touchdown with a rating of 80.2 before he suffered a season-ending broken collarbone in the fourth quarter of a 33-27 loss at home.
Griffin said Sunday his non-throwing shoulder was sprained when he collided with Eagles rookie cornerback Jalen Mills as he ran out of bounds on third-and-14 from the Browns’ 4-yard line with 3:41 left in the fourth quarter. Mills hit Griffin in the chest and shoulder area, then Griffin landed on his left arm as he fell.
"I can move my left arm," Griffin said. "I’m in pain, but it will be OK. Just have to monitor it. We’ll see more tomorrow and see how my shoulder is feeling and just move on from there."
The Browns signed Griffin to a two-year, $15 million contract in March with the belief that Jackson could revive the 2012 NFL offensive rookie of the year's career. Yet Griffin, who arrived in Cleveland with a long history of injuries, was hurt in his first real game with his new team.
Griffin, 26, had a rough regular-season debut with the Browns even before the injury. He struggled with accuracy and finished 12-of-26 passing for 190 yards with an interception and a passer rating of 55.
After the injury occurred, Griffin returned to the game for the offense's final series and handed off three times.