BEREA, Ohio -- If Robert Griffin III said it once, he said it six times in his season-ending interview Monday with the Cleveland Browns media.
"I want to be here," was Griffin's mantra as he spoke about the Browns' 1-15 season and his future. He made it plain and clear he hopes the Browns keep him in 2017.
"Right now I'm here with the Cleveland Browns and I love these guys in this locker room," Griffin said as teammates packed boxes around him. "And I want to help them win here."
Griffin signed a two-year deal in March, but the contract includes a $1.5 million roster bonus due in March. If the Browns pay it, he stays; if they don't, he's back on the market as a free agent.
"It's out of my hands now, there's nothing I can do from this point forward but just know I want to be here," Griffin said. "I want to be here with these guys and turn this thing around."
Griffin was one of many Browns who said they were proud of their team, and who believe there is a bright future despite the disappointing season. They all seemed to say this year was a painful necessity in the team's rebuild.
"I think this experience makes you better," Griffin said. "It's not something that anyone signs up for. But you really find the true character of your team, yourself and everyone in the organization when you go through something like this, and like I said, I'm proud to be here."
Griffin started the opener in Philadelphia and did not play well. He also left the game with a broken coracoid process in his left shoulder, which sidelined him for 11 games. He returned against Cincinnati, and struggled against the Bengals as well as in the next game against Buffalo.
But Griffin completed 68 percent of his passes in the Browns' lone win over San Diego, and he went 29-for-40 for 232 yards with two touchdowns and an interception in their overtime loss to the Steelers on Sunday.
Griffin acknowledged that his career hung in the balance after 2015, when he did not play a down for the Redskins. He was released, then signed with the Browns, where in five games he completed 87 of 147 passes (59.2 percent) for 886 yards with two touchdowns, three interceptions, four fumbles and two injuries (the broken bone and a concussion). His Total QBR for the season was 42.2, his passer rating 72.5.
Coach Hue Jackson said Griffin improved each game in the final month. That was reflected in Griffin's weekly Total QBR. In the four games he played, his weekly ranking went from 29th in the league to 25th to 18th to 11th against the Steelers.
"I think to not play a lot of football in two years and finish the season the way we did, or the way I did personally, I feel good about it," Griffin said. "But I'm not satisfied at all. So I'm going to go into this offseason hungrier than ever, ready to prove it all over again."
Griffin gushed about his experience with the Browns and in Cleveland. He thanked the fans, said Jackson and assistant Pep Hamilton brought the best out of him and was unshakeable in supporting this teammates.
"I'm not an idiot," he said. "I know a lot of people were writing me off as a player, as a quarterback, saying I couldn't do it. And to go out and show that I can, I think that proves a lot of people wrong."
Griffin said he will work this offseason to improve, adding "I don't think anybody's ever said I've been afraid of hard work."
But the one point he emphasized over and over was that he wants to play for the Browns in 2017.
"I've done everything that I can to this point with the cards that I was dealt to try to put the best foot forward and let the chips fall where they may," he said.