BEREA, Ohio _ Quarterback Robert Griffin III has suffered a fractured left shoulder and a concussion and failed to throw a touchdown pass in four starts for the Browns this season.
Yet coach Hue Jackson thinks Griffin has improved with each opportunity and hopes he can be medically cleared from a concussion to play in Sunday's season finale on the road against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Furthermore, 10-time Pro Bowl left tackle Joe Thomas believes Griffin is still a legitimate candidate to become the franchise's quarterback of the future.
"I do," Thomas said Wednesday after practice. "I think we've got a limited amount of film on him so far, but I think the things we've seen in meeting rooms, on the practice field, in some of the games, I think you've seen franchise-level talent for sure, and I wouldn't write him off by any stretch of the imagination.
"I wouldn't be shocked at all if he was our guy at the beginning of next season because I think he has shown enough that if they do decide to make Robert the guy, I think he can definitely be the guy, and I think he'd have the support of the locker room."
For the record, Griffin is the only Browns quarterback with a win on his resume this year. It happened Saturday when they avoided a winless season by defeating the San Diego Chargers 20-17 at FirstEnergy Stadium.
Griffin left the game because of a concussion he suffered with 10:30 left in the fourth quarter. Rookie Cody Kessler relieved him with the Browns leading 20-17, and they managed to hang on to improve to 1-14.
But what is a better indicator of Griffin's future with the team _ that he won a game or that he was knocked out of it?
"That is not fair. Wow," Jackson replied with a laugh. "Hopefully it is the fact that he won a game, but you have to stay healthy. I will be the first to tell you that. It is hard to play in this league when you are not out there playing. He did everything to help us have a chance to win the game. He played better in some areas, but you have to find a way to stay out there."
Griffin missed 11 games after suffering a fractured coracoid bone in his non-throwing shoulder Sept. 11 during the regular-season opener. He has started the past three games and played better each time, though he hasn't come close to dominating.
His best outing came on Christmas Eve against the Chargers (5-10) when he completed 17-of-25 passes for 164 yards without a touchdown or interception and posted a rating of 86.1. He also rushed six times for 42 yards and took seven sacks, the last of which caused a concussion.
The sample size is small, but Jackson said he believes it'll be adequate enough for him to decide Griffin's fate in the offseason. The 2012 offensive rookie of the year is under contract for next year, but he's due a $750,000 roster bonus March 11.
Still, Jackson wants to see Griffin face the Steelers (10-5) and thinks there's a chance the former Heisman Trophy winner will be cleared from the NFL's concussion protocol in time to play in the finale.
"I think there is an opportunity," Jackson said. "But we will know more about it tomorrow, so we will leave it there until we find out more."
Kessler, a third-round draft pick who is 0-8 and has suffered two concussions this season, will start if Griffin isn't cleared.
Asked to explain why he still wants to see Griffin play, Jackson said, "If they clear him, I think maybe the concussion was not as bad as we all thought, No. 1. We would not put him back out there unless medically we say it is OK. No. 2, we have seen him get better from the first opportunity to the second to the third. Hopefully, he can keep making jumps as you go because that says a lot to me. I would like to (see him play) if we could, but if we can't, I understand that, too."
The team doctor and an independent neurologist must approve Griffin's return to play.
"He seems like Robert," Jackson said, suggesting Griffin's symptoms aren't severe. "He likes to play. ... Whatever decision comes down from that, we will all understand and abide by it."
Griffin has gone 1-3 in four games as a starter this season. He has completed 58-of-107 passes (54.2 percent) for 654 yards and no touchdowns with two interceptions and a rating of 64.9. He has run 26 times for 158 yards and two touchdowns and taken 18 sacks.
Zero touchdown passes sticks out like a sore thumb.
"We have had chances and just did not hook up," Jackson said. "He has to make those plays. We have to make those plays. Hopefully this week, if he plays, we will find a way and see if we can throw one before he walks out of here."
Jackson insisted the Browns want to end this season on a high note, even though beating the Steelers could cost them the No. 1 overall pick in April's draft. They're guaranteed one of the top two picks.
"We are trying to win a game," Jackson said. "That (draft) talk, we don't even get into.
"I don't think that I can get caught up in that. I don't think the team can get caught up in that. Our message is to go out and play and win. That is all we are interested in."
Meanwhile, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said during a conference call he plans to rest his most recognizable stars _ quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, wide receiver Antonio Brown and running back Le'Veon Bell _ against the Browns. The Steelers have secured the AFC North title and a No. 3 playoff seed.
"I will believe it when I see it," Jackson said of Tomlin sitting the trio. "I am not going to worry about that. I am worried about us playing well."
In the offseason, Jackson will undoubtedly be worried about figuring out what the picture at quarterback will look like and whether Griffin should be included in it.
"If we're the No. 1 or No. 2 pick, we're going to be in position to take a great college quarterback as well," Thomas said. "Whether they go that way or not, it's tough to say. But I know since '99 the team's been looking for that franchise quarterback and no matter who you are in the NFL, that's always your No. 1 job, whether you have one or you're looking for one.
"So I'm not a QB evaluator, but I'm sure it's going to the No. 1 priority, is figuring out if we have one on our roster or if we need to go get one."
