For Robert Griffin III, the call from the Baltimore Ravens in 2018 was a lifeline. But by the time he hit the practice field, it looked more like a dead end. The Ravens had drafted Lamar Jackson in the first round that year, and veteran Joe Flacco already had a strong hold as the starting quarterback. So, Griffin’s position was not secure. He could get cut anytime, but it seems a short tweet saved him.

“When we drafted Lamar with the 32nd pick, and I sent out a tweet, and I’m like, ‘Man, I can’t wait to work with Lamar Jackson,’” said Griffin III on the Cleats & Convos With Deebo Samuel podcast on Tuesday.

The initial response wasn’t kind. At that time, NFL Network analyst Steve Smith Sr., as quoted by Griffin, said, “What do you mean you can’t wait to work with him? You’re about to get cut.”

However, his tweet changed the front office perspective. Griffin got pulled aside later on by quarterbacks coach James Urban, who told him:

“I just want you to know that tweet last night saved your job. Everyone in the organization saw it and realized that you were the best guy to help mentor Lamar Jackson because of what you had been through.” And suddenly, the Ravens saw value beyond the depth chart.

But why did the Ravens want to get rid of Griffin in the first place? He had just joined them that year. Well, the answer was simple math. Baltimore had invested heavily in Lamar Jackson: a first-round pick means a potential starting spot. At the same time, Flacco’s position was strong. Plus, the team wanted to tinker with two-quarterback sets to get the dual-threat rookie QB on the field.

So, Griffin was left behind in the race.

That is when Griffin sent the tweet. “Congrats, young fella @Lj_era8. Let’s get to work!!!”

From there, everything changed. Griffin got Jackson’s number and texted him immediately. He promised support, honesty, and mentorship. Their bond grew as they talked every day at the facility. They also met once a week outside it, at the hotel where Griffin was staying at that time.

By the time Griffin joined the Ravens, he had already lived multiple NFL lives. He had been a starter, a star, and had survived quarterback battles. Then he had faded into the background as a backup. He had even spent 2017 out of the league. Because of that full-circle journey, the Ravens’ leadership saw value beyond stats. They needed someone who could guide Lamar Jackson.

“I have seen everything,” Griffin said in 2018, and that wisdom could help the fellow rookie grow.

That honesty defined Griffin’s role. His career highs and lows shaped how he approached Jackson. He wanted to guide the younger player. At the same time, he wanted more for himself. Griffin was not just mentoring; he was also chasing relevance. He was proving he could still play at a high level in this league.

Why did Robert Griffin III want to mentor Lamar Jackson?

Robert Griffin III understood the NFL spotlight better than most. Back in 2012, he became a face of the league. He earned the 2012 NFL Rookie of the Year award. Yet in Washington, he felt alone in that role. No one in the locker room could guide him through life as a high-profile African-American quarterback. So, when he arrived in Baltimore, he did not want Lamar Jackson to face the same issue.

“I try to take that and look at it in a positive way to try to help Lamar navigate a lot of the things that I had to navigate on my own,” Griffin said back in 2018. “I feel like he really trusts me and believes what I’m telling him, and I think that’s made him a better player already in a short amount of time.”

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The bigger picture went deeper than football.

African-American quarterbacks often travel a different road in this league. Griffin admitted he had received advice from Doug Williams, Randall Cunningham, and Warren Moon. Still, advice from afar is not the same as sharing the field every day. So, Griffin felt that his impact would be significantly greater. Because of that approach, his role in Baltimore grew.

And perhaps that is why the Ravens kept him around. His support of Jackson helped stabilize his own standing. After the 2018 season, Baltimore signed Griffin to a two-year deal in 2019 worth $4.5 million.

In the end, Griffin’s perspective was never about saving himself. It was about a shared experience, and sometimes that makes all the difference.