Joe Flacco will start the season as the Cleveland Browns’ starting quarterback, the team announced this Monday.
Flacco, who is about to start his 18th season in the NFL, will also be the starter in the last preseason game against the Los Angeles Rams, which will be played at home on Saturday. Head coach Stefanski indicated that he will treat the game as a dress rehearsal for the regular season. Flacco did not participate in Cleveland’s first two preseason games.
The Browns began training camp with a quarterback competition among four contenders: Flacco, Kenny Pickett, and rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders (Deshaun Watson has been on the injured list while recovering from an Achilles tendon injury).
However, injuries and a clear designation of repetitions in training led to Flacco taking the vast majority of repetitions with the first team.
Pickett, a 2022 first-round pick acquired by the Browns in the offseason, hasn’t participated in 11-on-11 drills since injuring his hamstring on July 26. Gabriel, a third-round pick, didn’t play in the first preseason game due to a hamstring injury. Sanders, a fifth-round pick, didn’t receive any reps with the starting offense during camp. Sanders also missed the second preseason game due to an oblique injury. On August 4, the Browns signed Tyler Huntley to add depth due to the high number of quarterback injuries.
Flacco, 40, returns to Cleveland for a second stint after a five-game period in the 2023 season that rivaled anything the franchise has seen from a quarterback since returning to Cleveland in 1999. Following Watson’s season-ending shoulder injury in November 2023, the Browns signed Flacco. The Browns went 4-1 in five regular season starts with Flacco, who threw for over 300 yards in four straight wins before the streak ended in a loss to the Houston Texans in the wild card round. Flacco was named the NFL Comeback Player of the Year.
Flacco spent the 2024 season with the Indianapolis Colts and had a 2-4 record as a starter before rejoining the Browns on a one-year contract for $4 million.
Selected in the first round of the 2008 draft by the Baltimore Ravens, Flacco has thrown for 45,697 yards with 257 touchdowns and 162 interceptions in 17 seasons. He was named Super Bowl XLVII MVP when he led the Ravens to victory over the San Francisco 49ers.
Flacco is one of the three quarterbacks who have a winning record with the Browns since their return, along with Brian Hoyer (10-6) and Case Keenum (2-0).
The Browns host the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 1.
