Cleveland Browns: Hue Jackson very close to naming a QB1
By Thomas Moore
Cleveland Browns head coach Hue Jackson is almost ready to name the team’s starting quarterback. Just be patient, Browns fans.
The most anxiety-free quarterback competition in the NFL may be in its final stages as Cleveland Browns head coach Hue Jackson said he is “very close” to naming a starting quarterback.
With the Browns entering a week of preparation for the opening preseason friendly on Friday against the Green Bay Packers, it would not come as a surprise if Jackson announces his decision prior to the start of practice on Monday. It would a major surprise, however, if Jackson announces that anyone other than Robert Griffin III will open the season as the starter.
Griffin has taken the majority of the first-team reps in the opening week of training camp and is coming off two consecutive days of quality performances in practice – even if Saturday’s Orange and Brown Scrimmage was without pads or tackling.
Jackson is still playing coy about the decision, however.
“We’ll know here pretty soon exactly what we’re doing,” he said after Saturday’s practice at Ohio Stadium in Columbus. “I’m going to go back and talk to the people that I trust and that I spend a lot of time with making these kind of decisions, and we’ll move forward.”
Jackson was willing to publicly acknowledge that he is happy with the work that Griffin has put in.
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“I think I’ve said everything every day that everyone is seeing him get better and better every day,” Jackson said. “I’m not surprised. We try to create the right environment for him to be all he can be, and he’s working extremely hard because this is something he really wants to do.
“Obviously, we still have work to do, but I think he’s done a great job thus far. There are still some ladders to climb, and we’re going to keep climbing them.”
Even though his status as the team’s starting quarterback seems unquestioned, Griffin is still treating it like a real competition.
“It’s just about coming out every day and proving it. We want to make sure that everybody earns their spot, earns their keep, and that’s everybody’s goal,” he said. “Every time they step out on the field, they want to put their best foot forward and show (Head) Coach (Hue Jackson) what they can do. He believes in all of us so it’s a lot of fun to go out every day and just prove it.”
The quarterback competition has been anything but riveting so far, which is probably not so bad. The worst thing a head coach can do is be indecisive about the position, as Browns fans know all too well from watching other competitions in recent year.
What little suspense there is left will be removed soon, according to Jackson, and the process of figuring out if Griffin is the real deal will begin Friday night in Green Bay.