To little surprise, Joe Flacco will begin the 2025 season atop the depth chart. Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski announced on Monday that the 41-year-old will handle starting duties in Week 1. 
Flacco has long been seen as the top option for Cleveland. Injuries have been a problem for fellow veteran Kenny Pickett but also rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders, leading to missed reps during training camp. Even if all four contenders had been fully available, it still would have been seen as something of an upset for anyone but Flacco to get the early nod.
Midway through the 2023 season, Flacco joined the Browns and quickly found himself handling QB1 duties. The former Super Bowl MVP helped lead the team to a 4-1 finish down the stretch and qualify for the playoffs. That track record of success and a familiarity with Stefanski’s scheme were factors weighing heavily in Flacco’s favor during training camp. After the 191-game starter received the majority of first-team reps in camp, signs pointed heavily to Stefanski’s expected announcement confirming this QB setup to begin the year.
Pickett was seen as a contender to earn the nod ahead of camp, but a hamstring injury hindered his chances of genuinely pushing for the QB1 gig. The former Steelers first-rounder was traded to the Eagles last offseason and spent 2024 as Jalen Hurts‘ backup. The trade sending him to Cleveland was understandably followed by the decision to decline his fifth-year option. As a result, the 27-year-old enters this season as a pending free agent. Doing so as a backup (at best) is certainly an unwelcomed development from his perspective.
Gabriel and Sanders have flashed potential during the preseason, and their respective development will be a key storyline for Cleveland in 2025. Gabriel drew trade interest immediately after being drafted in the third round, but despite adding Sanders on Day 3 the Browns elected to retain him. Given the presence of Flacco and Pickett at that point, questions were raised about the possibility of all four signal-callers being kept on the active roster. General manager Andrew Berry has consistently maintained he is willing to take that route.
Indeed, the latest update on that front indicated Cleveland would carry each member of the Flacco-Pickett-Gabriel-Sanders quartet on the 53-man roster following cutdowns. Deshaun Watson is expected to miss the season while recovering from his second Achilles tear, while recent addition Tyler Huntley is a candidate to be released after filling in as a healthy option under center as needed. That will not bring an end to discussions about how the Browns should proceed under center, of course.
Struggles on the part of the team in general and Flacco in particular will no doubt lead to increased calls for a change under center. Turning to one (or both) of the rookies over the course of the season could lead to valuable evaluations concerning their long-term viability as potential starters. For now, though, Flacco is set to meet his goal of playing into his 40s. That will include at least a stretch in the starting spot to open his 18th NFL season.
This was always far and away the most likely outcome. The more interesting question is who’s playing quarterback in November or December.
Answer: The QB that can best help the Browns tank.
There NOT TANKING
It wouldn’t be the first time…probably won’t be the last time.
More like who is playing QB in October. This won’t last long.
Pick a month other than September, any month.
agreed, he is the only one with hands big enough to grip a football
David Njoku is gonna be must play in dfs
In a related development, the NFL announced that
“For the 2025-2026 season any player aged 40 and above is eligible to be taken on to and off of the playing field with a golf cart” when beginning or ending their team’s series of downs.
Richardson is gonna want the NFLPA to lobby for his inclusion in that
He won’t need to worry about it.
I’m guessing pickett is gone. I realized they traded a pick for him, but they can probably get a camp casualty for him.
Or trade him to recoup the pick
Couldn’t happen to a nicer ego
Joe Flacco being starting quarterback is no surprise
Kenny Pickett will be his backup
Dillon Gabriel will likely be the #3
Sanders, he did look good in his first start of the preseason but he still has things to work on and even if he doesn’t make the Browns roster, somebody will pick him up and give him a chance so not all his lost for him if he gets released
the guy who didn’t throw a pick six and fumble has things to work on, lol. Pckett is gone. They’d probably rather keep Hundley than him. Aside from abstract he’s doing good word from clueless beat writers, what makes anyone think he should stay? We’ve seen him play a lot. He sucks.
Very little chance Sanders is outright released.
Yeah no Pickett is gone lol
There is no chance on earth that Sanders gets released unless some major scandal happens. If Flacco is playing better than Pickett then there is no reason to keep Pickett around. At least will Gabriel and Sanders, there’s potential.
Sanders isn’t getting traded or released. Browns really like him and will give him time to develop. He outplayed Gabriel in their preseason starts. Why everyone has this narrative concerning Sanders and the Browns kills me. They drafted him to develop him and as a 5th round pick, he doesn’t have the pressure of a 1st or 2nd …
Kenny Pickett is so bad lol
Flacco is the classic the longer he plays, the worse it gets guy at this point of his career. Indy found that out last year.
@realfootballfan. He’s the perfect play 6 games and see what happens. Heck they could even trade him at the deadline if someone gets hurt. The defense is typically good, and it buys some time for Gabriel or Sanders
Yeah, I know, which is why that franchise doesn’t have a clue. I have no idea why anyone still trusts Stefanski. He’s kind of an idiot. Ran a franchise QB out of town and then didn’t know how to implement the right offense for the first fully guaranteed QB in NFL history. Nothing he ran was similar to what Watson did in Houston, but I guess his system was more important than winning games.
Watson was the problem NOT Stefanski. They put in an offense that Watson was comfortable with and he bombed..as for Mayfield, he was dividing the locker room and was immature. Took him getting traded and released, 4 teams to develop! Many QB’S have succeeded in a Stefanski offense …don’t blame Stefanski for Watson and his horrible play…
I like Stefanski and I’m a Steelers fan
I think the guy is a good coach
But they have asked him to coach subpar talent or head trips. Imagine giving this guy a team
He’s only had whiffs of it in Cleveland
I know you love him. It’s a guaranteed couple of wins every year. He’s had two winning seasons since he’s been there, and he inherited a Super Bowl caliber roster. It’s a pretty big sample size at this point. He’s not the only problem because the GM is clueless, but he’s a big part of it.
Yep, it was all Watson’s fault, not the clueless coach who ran Baker out of town, lmao. The same guy who employed Joe Wood for years with his mediocre defenses while his roster was Super Bowl caliber until the players almost had a coup before he finally fired him. Watson was I believe damaged goods when they got him, but Stefanski didn’t do anything remotely similar to what he ran in Houston when he got there. He’s an idiot who resembles more of a coordinator than a head coach.
Whoa there, fan
Never said I loved him just that I thought he was a good coach. You refreshed my memory about things. Guess I should have kept track
Which guys have succeed in his offense? Jeff Driskel? Case Keenum? Maybe back when he was with Minnesota. But Brad Johnson had his best years with Washington and Tampa.
Gasp
Browns gonna Brown.
Cleveland should have had Flacco last year. This is their apology to him. Can he play beyond seven games? Pickett might be gone. Dillon or Sanders will probaby have to improve enough to finish the season. I am pulling for Flacco staying healthy.
That schedule is brutal. They’ll be 2-7 or worse around the break.
True, but the public loves to bet on favorites. The Browns can cover some spreads and make bank for sportsbooks. Teams cannot look ahead of them, like the Bengals.
They actually might upset the Bengals considering their propensity to blow their early season games, and the Browns have somewhat had their number. So that might be one of the 2-7.
Might help if they brought in another decent runner but not sure if they go with Robinson while awaiting the Judkins punishment ruling?
@realfootballfan. Could happen especially with Hendrickson sitting out or getting traded. That defense isn’t getting better with no pass rush.
I know. They lost to the Patriots opening day last year, and we know how bad they were. Not just isolated to last year. I think they lost an early season game to the Cooper Rush led Cowboys, the Kenny Kenny Pickett-led Steelers, etc. They come into the season sleepwalking, and one of the few times that Watson looked good was when they thumped them in 2023. That defense looks horrible. Washington just ran the ball down their throat.
They didn’t want Flacco behind Watson because they didn’t want the fans chanting for him when Watson bombed..They remade their whole offense to get Watson comfortable in a system he was familiar with and he still bombed…now we have an offense Kevin thrives in…Flacco ran this in 2023 ..
I don’t know what you were watching, but that system never resembled what Bill O’Brien ran in Houston. I said it last off-season, why didn’t Stefanski hire O’Brien since he was going to Ohio State, but then he left there and got the BC job anyway, so it ended up being a moot point. I also think they got damaged goods too. I looked at his sack totals his last year there in Houston, and he got sacked almost 70 times. It’s why if I was a Bear fan, I’d be worried. I’m not sure if QBs can bounce back from getting hit that many times in one year. It messes with the psyche.
Browns wanted Flacco as a backup but Flacco wanted a starting job and wasn’t going to get it in Cleveland. Had nothing to do with not wanting fans chanting for him. Browns ownership is used to disappointing fans. In fact it’s the one thing they do very well.
Cleveland should be the all time Hard Knocks team.
Little orphan Brownie????
Tank for a quarterback!!!
Only because you’re not allowed to tank for a new owner 🙂
Their NOT TANKING
*they’re
You sign 16 quarterbacks and what do you get? Another season gone and no Super Bowls yet.
will it surprise anyone when the browns fail at tanking for arch ? allar will be the next qb savior to bust in a browns uni
Alstott40, every team is going to fail to get arch this year, because he’s not going in the draft. Plus if he was going to Cleveland he would ask for a trade or sit out without a contract.the manning’s are very particular and graduating is one of the things.
Yep. His uncles stayed in college when you couldn’t legally get paid, but Arch is coming out at 20 with 13 starts to his name or whatever it would be at the end of this year. People don’t use common sense. He’ll be making more than his whole rookie deal the next two or three years. Plus, I don’t care how good of a friends they are with Jimmy, they know he’s a train wreck as an owner, and they’re not letting the next generation Manning go there just like they wouldn’t let Eli play for the Spanoses 20 years ago.
@realfootballfan. Wouldn’t surprise me if Archie manning is still pulling the strings. He was talking for eli when he requested a trade so it wouldn’t surprise me if he was a agent. It possible he has stepped back probably getting up there in age, but they definitely have a blue print and its going to be the same when Eli and Payton ‘s kids play. I think Eli’s is 14.
Their NOT TANKING…
*they’re… Gosh, no wonder why you believe in Shedeur…
Maybe not the Browns, but what about Trey Lance as a backup? Deficiencies aside, guy shows heart. Help the run game?
@gobroncos. Lance is making the team. He’s been getting backup reps since the 1st game. Roman likes a mobile backup.
More hybrid players in the game? Don’t know if players want to have to block and tackle given their expertise. Or special teams. I would like a full 53 allowed. If a qb oriented athlete could block on some downs. Can run too. Why not more multiple threats in play. I get it, not fully realistic. But Saints showed some with Taysom Hill. It’s at least possible. I think it is time to go beyond a 1 qb centric idea.
Six QB’s under contract and the best they can do is Joe Flacco. GM should be fired.
He’s done a terrible job. Most of the good players on that team were from that two years Dorsey was there.
It doesn’t matter who plays QB for this team, as they will just be middling. They will settle at about 6 wins given their division.