The Cleveland Browns kept Josh McCown for this exact scenario

The Cleveland Browns will turn to Josh McCown at the starting quarterback position after Robert Griffin III hit the injured reserve after just one game.

Any sense of optimism surrounding the 2016 Cleveland Browns was swiftly erased Sunday during the 29-10 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. Things only got worse Monday.

On a day of reflection following a terrible season opener, fans were hit with the news that Robert Griffin III is being placed on injured reserve after suffering a shoulder injury at the end of Sunday’s game.

So for the second season in a row, the Browns lose their starting quarterback after just one game. Josh McCown famously got concussed after nearly being decapitated by the New York Jets’ defense following an ill-advised headfirst dive into the end zone in last season’s opener.

Being placed on injured reserve means Griffin must miss a minimum of eight games, meaning McCown is the team’s starter for the next few months. He finished 2015 with a 1-7 record in eight starts, never being able to stay off the injury report.

McCown’s name came up in several trade rumors, most notably to the Dallas Cowboys after Kellen Moore and Tony Romo went down with injuries. The Cowboys decided on playing Dak Prescott, which turned out to be a great move.

Keeping McCown in Cleveland was a smart move by the front office, as Griffin is perhaps the most notoriously fragile athlete in professional sports. Sunday’s injury, when he failed to get out-of-bounds on a run and paid for the mistake with a huge hit, was an inevitable occurrence. Hoping Griffin would start all 16 games was just not realistic, although it seemed like he would last longer than a single game.

McCown brings experience both in the NFL and with the Browns. His presence allows the offense to continue at the same pace, compared to if a rookie like Cody Kessler was thrust into the starting role.

The only problem is that McCown is also a fragile quarterback. He proved that last year, as he only lasted eight games due to injuries throughout the season. So hoping he can last the next 15 games may be just as foolish as any hoped pinned on Griffin at the start of the season.

But considering the front office inherited McCown, keeping him while cutting so many other veterans was a great decision. He just needs to focus on staying healthy, and not putting himself in a position to get hurt. This means getting on the ground any time a defender gets near him, and avoiding any hero plays, because if he gets hurt, Kessler is going to be put on the field before he is ready.

That would be a total disaster, but let’s ease our minds and not think about that until it becomes a reality. The good news is that the offense may actually play better under McCown, although the likelihood of a winning season is just not realistic.

Griffin still has a chance to return in 2016, but he may not be able to regain his starting job if McCown is healthy and doing a solid job. Unfortunately, Griffin’s comeback may have hit an insurmountable obstacle.