Where does Robert Griffin III rank among backup QBs?

Former Heisman Trophy recipient and 2012 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Robert Griffin III is entering his third season as the backup quarterback for the Ravens. Griffin has been a valuable mentor to the now 23-year-old reigning MVP Lamar Jackson. Similar to Jackson, Griffin experienced success early in his NFL career as well, winning Offensive Rookie of the Year and making the Pro Bowl in his first season after being selected with the second pick in the 2012 NFL Draft by Washington. Such a promising start to a career was soon derailed, however, as Griffin dealt with multiple injuries in the following years, eventually losing his job to Kirk Cousins.

Following a short stint with the Browns, Griffin decided to sit out of football for a year. With the hope of one day regaining a job as a starting QB in the NFL, Griffin signed a one-year deal with Baltimore in 2018, the same year the team drafted Jackson in the first round of the draft. Griffin immediately took the rookie under his wing and has remained a valuable commodity to the team and Jackson. Following the 2018 season, Griffin re-signed with the Ravens on a two-year deal, making this upcoming season the last for Griffin under contract.

Griffin has been praised by coaches and teammates since joining the organization two years ago. Baltimore clearly values Griffin’s services, but where does he rank among the other backup QBs in the NFL? PFF gave their answer to this recently with their rankings of all 32 backup QBs.

Griffin lands at number 10 on PFF’s list behind Jameis Winston, Marcus Mariota, Andy Dalton, Mitchell Trubisky, Matt Schaub, Nick Mullens, Joe Flacco, Tua Tagovailoa, and Case Keenum. They go into the details of their ranking process for QBs in their previous article regarding the ranking of starting QBs.

Having a backup QB like Griffin is incredibly valuable in the NFL, especially in a year filled with uncertainty regarding COVID-19 and how that will affect the season. The Ravens defeated the Steelers in Week 17 of the 2019 season with Griffin starting. If he is unable to get a shot at competing for a starting job in 2021, then don’t be surprised if Griffin ends back up with the Ravens on a third deal.