Hue Jackson said last month that he planned to name Cleveland's starting quarterback "way before we play," but the new Browns coach confirmed Wednesday that he isn't ready to make that decision just yet.
"When the time is right, trust me, you guys will be the first to know," Jackson said as Cleveland wrapped OTAs.
Jackson in May hinted that he might see enough from Robert Griffin III to make his decision by the end of this week, but Jackson on Wednesday talked about making "the right choice, not just the fast choice," which makes plenty of sense. Griffin needs to blow coaches away before he's handed the job. After all, the former Redskins quarterback hasn't won a football game since December of 2014.
Jackson sees promise, though, saying of Griffin, per The Plain Dealer: "He's made tremendous strides. He's getting better every day. See glimpses of him being extremely good."
To win the gig, Griffin must fend off Josh McCown, Austin Davis, Connor Shaw and rookie Cody Kessler -- not exactly Odysseus journeying back to Ithaca. Especially if the Browns fall for the concept of RGIII redeeming his career in Cleveland.
Jackson, though, appears wedded to picking the best player. Even after saying "it felt like the Earth moved beneath my feet" during RGIII's private workout with the team, the Browns coach has preached open competition at almost every position save Joe Thomas' left tackle spot.
No matter who starts in Cleveland, we're likely to see more than one quarterback play in 2016. That's been the case for the Browns every year since 2001, a streak that needs to end for this team to finally see better days.
