Hue Jackson ‘a little surprised’ Robert Griffin voted captain by teammates

Before the Browns had played their first preseason game of the year, Robert Griffin III was named the team’s starting quarterback. Now, he’s received an honor from his teammates.

Back in March, Griffin signed a two-year contract with the Browns, a couple of weeks after being released by the Redskins. In the time between then and now, his teammates apparently have seen enough to feel confident voting Griffin as one of the team captains, along with Joe Haden, Joe Thomas, Tank Carder, and Demario Davis.

If the the idea of naming someone who has been a member of the team for less than six months a team captain sounds a little strange to you, you’re not alone. The team’s decision caught head coach Hue Jackson off guard a bit as well.

“I was a little surprised, I’ll be very honest with you because obviously, Robert hasn’t been here very long and we haven’t played a real football game yet,” Jackson said via Cleveland.com. “For him to be voted captain, he should feel good about that. His teammates feel good about him.”

In some cases, a change of scenery is just what a player needs to jump start their career. The Browns are certainly hoping that’s the case for Griffin, who went from being the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Year to third on the depth chart in Washington prior to his release.

It’s been well documented the trouble the Browns have had finding a franchise quarterback as they’ve gone through a myriad of passers in recent years. While it remains to be seen if Griffin ends up filling that void, it’s obvious he has gained the respect of his teammates, which is certainly a good start to his tenure in Cleveland. The captain position plus the mojo he has from his new girlfriend could help RG3’s confidence grow entering the season.