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For anyone hoping to see Robert Griffin III start at quarterback for the Ravens, there's a way it could happen without an injury to Lamar Jackson.

According to Mike Garafolo, if the Ravens secure their playoff seed by Week 17, Griffin would be the expected starter for Baltimore. 

The Ravens are currently the top seed in the AFC with a one-game lead over the Patriots. They also hold the tiebreaker over New England. 

Their opponent in Week 17, the Steelers, are 8-5 and hold the sixth seed in the conference. They'd likely be playing for their playoff lives against the Ravens, so even though Baltimore would have a chance to keep their arch-rival out of the postseason, it would appear Griffin would start if their playoff standing is sealed. 

Griffin has appeared in five games for the Ravens this season and has completed 12-of-16 throws for 126 yards and a touchdown. His last start was with the Browns in Week 17 of 2016. He completed 29-40 passed for 232 yards, two touchdowns and one interception in a loss to, you guessed it, the Steelers. 

So if you want to see Robert Griffin III start a football game under center again, it's time to root for the Ravens to secure the top seed in the conference. They can do that with a win and a loss from both the Patriots and Chiefs. 

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OWINGS MILLS, Md. - It is not the way any team wants to start training camp. But with backup quarterback Robert Griffin III's broken thumb, that's the scenario the Ravens face. 

Griffin was hurt Saturday when he smashed his right hand on a teammate’s helmet. He could miss four-to-six weeks. Enter Joe Callahan, who has been with five other NFL teams and tried out for several others, but found a perfect fit with Baltimore. 

To say Callahan, 26, is familiar with offensive coordinator Greg Roman is an understatement. He was Callahan’s offensive coordinator during his sophomore year of high school in 2008 at Holy Spirit High School in Absecon, N.J. 

That was Roman’s one-year hiatus from the NFL after 13 years as an assistant coach. He returned to his alma mater, Holy Spirit, to help coach while waiting for another opportunity. That came as the tight ends coach for Jim Harbaugh at Stanford in 2009. Two years later he followed Harbaugh to the San Francisco 49ers as the offensive coordinator and has remained in the NFL ever since. 

Roman turned Callahan into a quarterback that sophomore season, moving him from safety. He didn’t play much, but Holy Spirit won a state title and two years later in 2010 did it again – this time with Callahan as the starting quarterback. He became an All-American at Division III Wesley College. 

“Greg takes full credit for his career,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh joked on Wednesday. 

An undrafted free agent in 2015, Callahan worked his way into opportunities with Green Bay, Philadelphia, New Orleans and Cleveland. He played in a game for the Packers in 2017. He’s had try-outs with Oakland, Seattle, Tampa Bay, and the New York Giants.

Baltimore needed help fast. Without Griffin, the only quarterbacks on the roster are starter Lamar Jackson and former Penn State star Trace McSorely, a sixth-round pick this past spring. Especially in the early preseason games, Callahan should get plenty of work. Griffin could be back for the season-opener against Miami on Sept. 8, so Callahan remains a roster long shot. But he has another chance, and with a familiar face this time. 

“I thought Joe looked good [Wednesday],” Harbaugh said. “He has a good arm. He’s won games in the preseason in Green Bay. He’s been in Cleveland. He’s an experienced guy. I think it’s a really interesting story.”

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Quarterback Robert Griffin III made his return to the NFL during the 2018 season thanks to the Baltimore Ravens and he's hoping 2019 will present him with the same opportunity.

“Yes, I’d love to be back," Griffin III said Monday.

"I feel like I have a good grasp of what this team is trying to do. I would love to help Lamar [Jackson] continue to develop and also be available and ready to play. The question is, is that going to happen? I don’t know. Will there be other opportunities for me around the league? I don’t know. I’ll just continue to work hard every single day and see what happens. But I’d love to be back, no doubt.”

Prior to drafting Lamar Jackson in the 2018 NFL Draft, the Ravens signed Griffin III to a one-year, $1 million contract after being out of the league for a year. The uncertainty of Jackson's development throughout the season earned Griffin III a spot on the Ravens' 53-man roster behind Joe Flacco and Jackson. 

Despite being a gameday inactive most weeks, the Heisman Trophy winner saw action in three games including conducting an important field goal drive in the team's Week 13 win over the Atlanta Falcons after Jackson left the game in concussion protocol. 

Luckily for RGIII, the odds of him remaining in Baltimore appear to be in his favor.

After Sunday's 23-17 Wild Card loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, John Harbaugh made it clear that Jackson is their quarterback of the future while reflecting on the 11 years Flacco spent with the Ravens. As the team's No. 2, Griffin III would offer a wide range of experience that most backups lack and has taken satisfaction throughout the 2018 season in mentoring his fellow Heisman Trophy winner. 

In return, the Ravens have offered the 28-year-old stability in what's been a rocky five years for the former second-overall pick. 

"I really took pride in wearing this uniform this year and representing this organization," Griffin III added. "So, there’s a certain level of that appreciation for the Ravens giving me an opportunity to get back in the league and staying true to that."

Opportunity to be a starter elsewhere could also be in the cards for the QB, but what's best for his family will remain top priority. 

“I think the No. 1 priority is just taking care of my family and just doing what’s right," Griffin said. "From that standpoint, if the opportunity is out there for me to compete to be a starter, be a starter, you’re definitely going to weigh those options. This is a great organization, and I like the direction that they’re going. This offense is suited to my skill set. I can run really any offense now that I’m six years deep in the league and kind of have an understanding of what’s going on, but at the same time, I just have to make the right decision, not only for myself but just to be in the right situation.”

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