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Cleveland Browns quarterback Joe Flacco will be on a short leash as the starter.
Joe Flacco will roll out as the starter for the Cleveland Browns in Week 1 but the 40-year-old is expected to be on a short leash.
Flacco came out victorious in the Browns training camp quarterback battle, remaining healthy and showing he’s still capable of efficiently leading the offense. But with rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders waiting in the wings, Flacco will have to produce to stay on the field.
“If (Flacco) falters, the Browns won’t hesitate to turn it over sooner than later to their backup quarterback, rookie Dillon Gabriel, whom they loved in the draft and have been impressed with during his four months here,” Browns insider Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com said. “If Gabriel can then manage the offense efficiently and play clean ball, the Browns will still have a chance to remain relevant beyond the trade deadline Nov. 4.”
The expectations are not high for the Browns, who have a win total of just 4.5, per BetMGM. But Cleveland needs to be more watchable than they were during a miserable 3-14 campaign.
The Browns will be tested out of the gate, starting with the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday in their opener. Cleveland will then face the Ravens, Packers, Lions and Vikings — all playoff teams last season.
Joe Flacco Prepared to Start for Browns
Flacco is 40 but has a big arm and has had success in Cleveland previously. He led the team to the postseason in 2023, stepping in late and going 4-1 as the starter. Flacco’s performance earned him Comeback Player of the Year.
The former Super Bowl MVP is confident that he can still produce at a high level.
“I don’t think I’ve ever given it too much thought about whether I could play at a certain age or not,” Flacco said. “It’s just I still feel like I can play and I don’t even look at it as I still feel like I can.
“This is what I do. I play football and I’ve been fortunate enough to not really get out of that mindset. There’s been times, obviously throughout my career, where I wouldn’t have necessarily thought that this was going to happen, but I’m grateful to be in this position and excited to do it.”
Browns QB Joe Flacco Would Have Liked More Reps
The Browns’ quarterback competition, along with how the reps were split in training camp and the preseason, was unconventional. Flacco would have preferred to have a heavier workload, but he also trusted the process.
“The best thing for this team was to have the process that we had. And even though I may personally not feel like that was the best thing for myself, I can get on board and see how that was important for the team to go through this process,” he said. “I have been willing to play that role and go through that process and just be the best version of myself I can be. And now heading into the season, I feel like there was plenty of time for me to make sure that I got the reps and felt comfortable with all the guys around me.”
The Browns are 5.5-point underdogs at home against the Bengals in Week 1.
J.R. DeGroote JR DeGroote is a staff writer for Heavy.com, where he has covered the NFL, NBA, and trending sports stories since 2019. His work focuses on some of the most passionate fanbases in sports, including reporting on the Cleveland Browns, Dallas Cowboys and Los Angeles Lakers. More about J.R. DeGroote
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