Washington quarterback Robert Griffin III was cleared for non-contact practice on Sunday, the team announced. Head coach Jay Gruden said Griffin has "no effects of a concussion," and that he plans to see a neurologist, presumably for the final stage of the league's concussion protocol. Griffin sustained the injury in the team's second preseason game against the Detroit Lions on Thursday.
Griffin was sacked three times in the game, and hit on multiple plays in which he managed to get the ball off. He took multiple hard hits and eventually left the game after going down awkwardly trying to recover a fumble at the bottom of a pile. He was being evaluated for a shoulder stinger and a concussion.
Gruden also announced that Griffin would be starting Saturday's preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens if he's fully cleared as per the league's concussion protocol. Griffin is getting one more chance to be the team's starter, as they've exercised the fifth-year option in his contract. That fifth year is actually 2016, but it's only fully guaranteed for injury at this point, so if he under-performs this season Washington can move on from him.
Here's other news and notes from Sunday in the NFL:
White needs elbow surgery
Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Roddy White will undergo surgery on his elbow and will have to miss some time, according to Vaughn McClure of ESPN. Head coach Dan Quinn made the statement to the media on Sunday, but also said that White is expected back for the regular season opener. White missed two games with injury last season, and three the year before that. Atlanta will face the Philadelphia Eagles on Sept. 14 to open their season.
White caught 80 passes for 921 yards and seven touchdowns last season. When he and Julio Jones are both healthy, it's one of the scariest wide receiver duos in the whole league. Another Falcons player, Peter Konz, had a knee scope and will also miss some time. He's only expected to miss "a few weeks," according to McClure.
Manziel leaves practice early
Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel left Sunday's practice early with a sore elbow, according to Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Manziel left the session half an hour early after experiencing the soreness in his throwing elbow, and he'll likely rest for "a few days."
The Browns have the ever-important third preseason game set for Saturday, which is still a ways off so Manziel will have plenty of time for recovery if it is only a short-term thing. The Browns are adamant that there isn't a quarterback battle going on at this stage of the offseason, with Josh McCown listed as the starter, but Manziel has shown a lot in practice and in the first two preseason games to at least make things interesting.
Giants have a lot of injuries
The New York Giants have some serious issues at the safety position. On Saturday, Bennett Jackson sustained an injury against the Jacksonville Jaguars and left the game late in the fourth quarter. It turns out Jackson sustained a torn ACL in his right knee and is now out for the season, according to Jordan Raanan of NJ.com. Jackson was slated to earn one of the starting jobs. He also missed all of last year after microfracture surgery. The other expected starter, Landon Collins, is also dealing with an injury but he's expected back soon.
Jackson now joins Mykkele Thompson and Justin Currie on injured reserve. Thompson has an Achilles injury and Currie has a tibia injury. Both were injured in preseason games. Nat Berhe and Cooper Taylor were also dealing with injuries.
In addition to the issues at safety, the Giants also have linebacker Jon Beason nursing an injury. Beason has a sprained knee and is week to week with the injury, according to head coach Tom Coughlin, via Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News.
Wayne, Mathis taking visits
The two biggest free agents on the open market, wide receiver Reggie Wayne and offensive linemen Evan Mathis, took recent visits with prospective teams. Wayne arrived in New England on Saturday and took a physical with the Patriots on Sunday, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. It's unclear if a signing is imminent, but it sounds like he could have found a new team for what is thought to be his final season in the league.
Mathis took a visit with the Seattle Seahawks on Saturday, and it was a "good visit," according to Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports. Mathis left without a deal though, and has reportedly considered multiple teams to this point. When healthy, he's one of the most dominant offensive linemen in the league, but he's missed an awful lot of time due to injury in recent seasons.