Robert Griffin III has been cleared for non-contact activity, but it's still unclear when the Browns quarterback will return to practice.
Griffin, who was placed on injured reserve after breaking a bone in his shoulder, hasn't played since the season opener against the Eagles.
Browns executive vice president of football operations Sashi Brown on Monday said Griffin is "on pace" to come back this year, though it's too early to determine what role the former Redskins star and 2012 Offensive Rookie of the Year might play.
"I think today would be premature to make that decision," head coach Hue Jackson said Monday. "But once he can get back out there and start practicing, then I think there is a window of time in there before we have to do anything."
Griffin, who was limited at times by various injuries in four seasons in Washington, joined the Browns this past spring as a free agent.
After earning the starting nod in training camp, Griffin's season debut was brief after he was injured late in the fourth quarter in a loss at Philadelphia. He played the remainder of the game through pain, but X-rays later revealed a fractured coracoid bone in his left shoulder.
"His durability has been something that's followed him and unfortunately reared its head again as well for him," Brown said.
"And we were all disappointed. He worked his tail off to understand the offense and position himself to start for us and gets hurt after a few quarters of play. He's got the opportunity to come back and try and compete to earn his job back. That won't be necessarily given to him, that'll be a Hue decision."
Since then, the Browns have mostly leaned on the play of rookie quarterback Cody Kessler, who has started seven games this season and shown promise during that span, and veteran Josh McCown.
Griffin, meanwhile, has logged two-plus months working with the team's medical and training staffs in hopes of returning to the field sooner than later.
"You've just got to focus on what you can control and really these guys, seeing how hard they work every day, day in and day out, even though the record doesn't reflect that, I know the city's disappointed and these guys in this locker room are disappointed as well,'' Griffin said Monday.
"But we've got six games left this year, a chance to finish strong, and if I get a chance to be a part of that, I definitely want to.''
That decision, the Browns have made clear, rests with Jackson.
"Once we can get him out there," he said, "we will go further and know more."
