Josh McCown

An important four-week checkup this week revealed that Robert Griffin III's fractured coracoid bone in his left shoulder is showing signs of healing, sources said Tuesday, and doctors believe the Cleveland Browns quarterback, barring any setbacks, will not require surgery.

After Griffin originally suffered the injury in September, the team feared he would miss the remainder of season if surgery was required. The Browns placed him on the Injured Reserve with designation to return, hoping proper healing could mean an earlier comeback.

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The IR designation means Griffin still wouldn't be able to return to action until Nov. 10 against Baltimore. However, it is still to be determined whether that is a realistic timeline in terms of the healing process. A source close to the player says Griffin plans to be extremely patient with his return, and has not placed a timeline on when he'll be back, the story said.