The former Heisman trophy winner’s professional career has been riddled with injuries, but he found a way to climb back into the league after being pushed out. The latest injury scared Griffin and the Ravens, but the prognosis looks good.
It was a joyous scene at M&T Bank Stadium on Saturday night. Over 28,000 fans attended the Ravens’ open practice. While the fans got to witness fireworks on the field and in the air, the most important development of the night happened on an accidental play. Backup quarterback, Robert Griffin III collided with the third-year pass rusher, Tim Williams. Griffin’s hand smashed into Williams’ helmet, and Griffin was immediately taken off the field to be checked out. After receiving an x-ray, he returned to the field, was obviously emotional, and sat out the rest of the night.
When asked about the injury Griffin declined to speak on the severity of it. Instead, he delegated the responsibility to the team. Head coach, John Harbaugh, asked Ravens fans to say a prayer for Griffin, and starting quarterback, Lamar Jackson, expressed his concern for Griffin in his post-practice press conference as well.
Concern quickly grew on social media, as Ravens insiders, reporters, and fans scrambled for more information. Eventually, the news broke that Griffin suffered a small fracture in his throwing hand’s thumb. This injury should not threaten Griffin’s status for the week one opener against the Miami Dolphins.
If Griffin recovers on schedule, he will be healthy for the start of the regular season, but the Ravens will still need to add another quarterback to the roster. With Griffin slated to miss significant time in training camp, Baltimore will need a camp arm that can also participate in preseason games. Prominent free agents include Josh Johnson, Geno Smith, and Brock Osweiler. Baltimore also has the option to bring back Jalen McClendon, the undrafted quarterback out of Baylor that participated early in Baltimore’s offseason program.
Update – JULY 27, 2019 – 11:07 PM
According to ESPN NFL Insider, Adam Schefter, Robert Griffin III officially has a hairline fracture in his thumb. The timetable for return is 4-8 weeks, meaning Griffin could miss the start of the regular season.
