Browns place Griffin on IR, out at least 8 games

The Cleveland Browns have placed quarterback Robert Griffin III on injured reserve due to a fractured coracoid bone in his left shoulder suffered in Week 1, the team announced Monday.

The Browns added that Griffin will not need surgery, and his shoulder will be reevaluated in three-to-four weeks.

Griffin is not lost for the season, however. He will be forced to miss a minimum of eight games, but Cleveland is able to bring back one player from IR. Under the new IR rules, teams don't need to designate a player to return until they return to practice, which they are eligible to do after six weeks.

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With Griffin sidelined, Josh McCown will step in as the Browns' starting quarterback, head coach Hue Jackson announced.

"It's very unfortunate, Robert came in and has worked extremely hard to learn our offense and earn the respect of his teammates," Jackson said. "This is a tough loss because everyone has seen how invested he has been in this team and his dedication to the work needed to improve his craft. We all know these are the realities of the NFL, injuries occur and you have to find ways to overcome them so they don't impede your progress."

Griffin won the starting job over McCown in the offseason after signing a two-year deal with the Browns.

He struggled in his first regular-season start since December 2014, completing 12-of-26 passes for 190 yards and rushing for 37 more in a loss to the Eagles.