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The Cleveland Browns released quarterback Robert Griffin III on Friday, a day after acquiring Brock Osweiler from the Houston Texans. Griffin was released on the eve of the Browns having to pay the six-year veteran a $750,000 roster bonus on Saturday, a league source told Cleveland.com.
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Griffin was due to make more than $6 million in the 2017 season.
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported the Browns are trying to shop Osweiler, giving Cody Kessler a chance to be the starting quarterback.
Browns head coach Hue Jackson indicated last week that the 27-year-old Griffin's time in Cleveland may be over after one abbreviated season.
"Obviously Robert's on our roster right now," Jackson said at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. "I think there are some things that he did well, some things he needs to continue to improve at and we're going to keep working with him until we don't. He's one of the three quarterbacks on our football team right now and I'm very fortunate we do have some guys under contract right now to work with, but we've got to continue to get him better as he moves forward."
The Browns signed Griffin to a two-year deal worth $15 million, including $6.75 million guaranteed, after he was released by the Washington Redskins following the 2015 season. He was named the Week 1 starter in 2016 but broke his left shoulder on a scramble in the season-opening loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Griffin missed the next 11 games and then started the final four, leading Cleveland to its only win of the season over the San Diego Chargers on Christmas Eve in Week 16 and preventing the Browns from becoming only the second team in NFL history to go 0-16.
In five games with the Browns, Griffin completed 87 of 147 passes for 886 yards with two touchdowns, three interceptions and a quarterback rating of 72.5.
The former second overall pick in the 2012 draft by the Redskins has now been released by two teams. He spent four seasons in Washington but lost his job to Kirk Cousins and did not play a down in 2015.
RG3 has thrown for 8,983 yards with 42 touchdowns and 26 interceptions in his career.
In December, Griffin said he felt like he could still be the Browns' quarterback of the future.
"No doubt," Griffin told Cleveland.com. "I have the confidence in that. I can't speak for coach or anyone else, but they've expressed that to me. I still feel I can be the guy for this team, for this organization and I look forward to going out and proving it."
