RGIII 'emotional' in NFL return

Robert Griffin III made his return to the NFL as a member of the Baltimore Ravens in Thursday's Hall of Fame Game victory over the Chicago Bears.

The contest marked Griffin's first NFL action in 19 months, having not played since Jan. 1, 2017 as a member of the Cleveland Browns. After his long layoff, the quarterback was emotional upon his return.

"(Thursday) was an emotional day for me, just coming back out here," Griffin said, according to ESPN's Jamison Hensley. "I know it's the preseason, it's the Hall of Fame Game, but to have an opportunity to come back out here and play football is something that I really cherish.

"People don't understand that once you're out of the league for a year, it's really hard to get back in, especially if you're a quarterback and a high draft pick. It's just really hard to do."

With Ravens starting quarterback Joe Flacco not playing, Griffin started against the Bears, completing 7 of 11 passes for 58 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. The signal-caller was pleased with his efforts and the support from his team.

"You know, a lot of hard work went into it," Griffin said. "When you're out of football for a year, sometimes things come into question, and sometimes doubt can start to seep in, and luckily I had the right people around me, and that never happened, and I was about to continue to push through, and that's why I'm here today. I thank them a lot."

The former No. 2 overall pick signed a one-year contract with Baltimore in April. He'll compete with 2018 first-rounder Lamar Jackson for the team's backup quarterback position.

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