Joe Flacco

Bengals Considered Long List Of QBs Before Joe Flacco Trade

October 18th, 2025 at 11:06pm CST by Connor Byrne

After a Week 5 loss to the Lions, their third straight lopsided defeat under backup signal-caller Jake Browning, the Bengals aggressively began searching for a different Joe Burrow fill-in. Led by director of player personnel Duke Tobin, the Bengals put together an extensive list of potential upgrades over Browning, Albert Breer of SI.com details.

Before swinging a trade with the division-rival Browns for Joe Flacco, the Bengals considered Anthony Richardson (Colts); Kirk Cousins (Falcons); the Giants’ backup duo of Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston; the Rams’ Jimmy Garoppolo and Stetson Bennett; Tanner McKee (Eagles); and Josh Johnson (Commanders). They joined the previously reported Derek Carr (Saints), Sam Howell (Eagles), Drew Lock (Seahawks), and Davis Mills (Texans) in Cincinnati’s exhaustive search.

The Bengals narrowed the list down to five before choosing Flacco as the best option, according to Breer. It’s unclear who joined the 40-year-old in the group of finalists or whether the Bengals even made calls on all of those QBs.

In the end, Flacco won out as a result of a few factors. Flacco is affordable ($1.26MM base salary) and only cost a fifth-round pick. The well-traveled Super Bowl XLVII MVP also has plenty of AFC North experience, and coordinator Dan Pitcher identified him as a clear fit based on similarities between Cincinnati’s offense and Cleveland’s in terms of “spacing the field and progressing pass concepts,” Breer writes.

Two weeks into what will be a short-lived run as the Bengals’ starter, Flacco has looked like a shrewd acquisition. The Bengals lost his first start to the Packers, but they bounced back with an upset over the division-rival Steelers on Thursday.

Flacco outdueled fellow 40-something Aaron Rodgers in Week 7, going 31 for 47 for 342 yards and three touchdowns in a 33-31 thriller. He made superstar wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase the focal point of the offense, targeting him on a jaw-dropping 23 throws and hitting him 16 times for 161 yards and a score. Chase has already hauled in 26 passes and two of Flacco’s five TDs as a Bengal. Flacco has yet to throw a pick with the team after tossing six in four games with the Browns.

The goal in acquiring Flacco was to hang around long enough to make a potential Burrow return worthwhile in 2025. Burrow, who underwent toe surgery on Sept. 19, is expected to miss at least three months. That means the Bengals will have to stay in the race into December under Flacco. At 3-4, they trail the division-leading Steelers (4-2) and sit in ninth place in the AFC. While the Bengals are still facing an uphill climb, Flacco has at least given them a more credible option than Browning under center.

Bengals Contacted Several Teams On QBs; Cincinnati Considered Derek Carr

October 12th, 2025 at 9:55pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Bengals went from throwing support behind Jake Browning to frantically seeking an outside upgrade. Joe Flacco became that option, being sent across Ohio early this week in a Day 3 pick-swap exchange.

Prior to landing on Flacco — a development that surprised the Browns — the Bengals looked into many reserve QBs around the league and one who recently wrapped his NFL career. In addition to calling the Eagles on Sam Howell and the Seahawks on Drew Lock, the Bengals contacted the Texans on Davis Mills, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport.

A long-hesitant franchise regarding the acquisition of players via in-season trades, the Bengals also made a call on Derek Carr. Rapoport indicates the recently retired passer became part of Cincinnati’s search. Had this progressed, the team would have needed to make a deal with the Saints for Carr’s rights. Like they did with Sean Payton when he stepped away in 2022, the Saints hold Carr’s rights after his mid-offseason retirement.

Carr did not enter the offseason assured of retaining his starting job. Kellen Moore took over in New Orleans, leading to rumors about a QB change — even in the event Carr kept playing. Two years remained on his Saints contract. Carr was not open to a pay cut on the four-year, $150MM deal and remained in the Saints’ plans for several weeks between Moore’s arrival and the post-draft retirement decision. As of September, Carr has not slammed the door on returning. But with the Saints needing compensation, that introduced a wrinkle they may have kept the 11-year veteran in retirement.

This certainly would have presented an interesting opportunity for Carr, as the Bengals paid up to retain their high-end Ja’Marr Chase–Tee Higgins duo this offseason. Carr struggled to stay healthy in New Orleans, running into a few injuries. Most notably, a shoulder malady sustained in 2023 plagued him and ultimately led the ex-Raider to retirement. Should health circumstances improve, that could conceivably change the equation. Carr did gauge the trade market this offseason. But Carr is 34, limiting his window. During the summer, a report also indicated the former playoff starter is not likely to return to the league.

The Bengals made calls to teams with three quarterbacks and those with viable practice squad options, Rapoport adds. Mills obviously remains in the Texans‘ plans, having signed a one-year extension that moves his contract through 2026 in September. The Texans also rebuffed trade inquiries on Mills in 2023, keeping he and Case Keenum behind C.J. Stroud that season. A 2021 third-round pick, Mills has played his entire career in Houston. The team replaced him as their primary starter via the Stroud selection but still values him in the QB2 post.

Cincinnati did not inquire about Giants veterans, Kirk Cousins or Ryan Tannehill. In not making Tannehill part of their QB search, the Bengals wanted a player who had been active recently, Rapoport adds. Tannehill has not played since the 2023 season, when the Titans benched him for second-round rookie Will Levis. Tannehill had been connected to the Vikings early this offseason and later came up for the Raiders following Aidan O’Connell‘s injury, but the 37-year-old passer remains out of football.

Flacco, 40, will make a start despite being acquired Tuesday afternoon. The Bengals sent Flacco cutups on his flight from Cleveland, per Rapoport, as he was getting up to speed in Zac Taylor‘s offense by Tuesday night. With the Browns giving Flacco two weeks to prepare before his first start with the team in 2023, today’s shorter-notice Packers matchup presents a daunting assignment. For the foreseeable future, however, the Bengals will have Flacco at the controls.

Browns Were Surprised By Bengals’ Joe Flacco Interest

October 10th, 2025 at 2:10pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

For weeks, Bengals head coach Zac Taylor expressed confidence in backup quarterback Jake Browning to keep Cincinnati’s offense afloat with the hopes of a late-season return from Joe Burrow.

But after Browning’s third multi-interception game in four weeks – and the Bengals’ third straight loss – Taylor and the front office finally decided to seek a different signal-caller. They landed on Joe Flacco and reached out to the Browns, who were not expecting the call from their AFC North rivals.

Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said on (via Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic) Tuesday that Cincinnati’s interest in Flacco “took us by surprise,” despite the veteran quarterback’s benching the week prior. Handing the keys to the offense over to rookie Dillon Gabriel could signal to an outsider that Flacco was available, but Cleveland may not have been anticipating that they would trade him within the division (and the state).

In his first press conference as a Bengals, Flacco – who has been traded three times in his career – called the NFL a “crazy business” and said players “have to be ready for anything,” per Dehner.

‘Anything’ seems to include being benched, traded, and inserted into a new starting job in the span of a week. Not to mention, Flacco will play for his third AFC North team on Sunday, joining Ryan Fitzpatrick as the only quarterbacks to play for three of the four teams in a single division, per NFL Network’s John Todd.

Shedeur Sanders Uncertain To Move Into Browns’ QB2 Role; Latest On Deshaun Watson

October 8th, 2025 at 9:16pm CST by Sam Robinson

Shedeur Sanders‘ eventful 2025 included early buzz about being a top-five pick, before a freefall to Round 5 capped a regrettable pre-draft process. The rookie went from Cleveland’s QB4 during training camp to preseason starter, due to other passers’ injuries, and then saw the team’s Kenny Pickett trade shake up the depth chart.

The Browns installed Sanders as their No. 3 option, and that did not change after they demoted Joe Flacco to start Dillon Gabriel. Flacco worked as Cleveland’s backup in Week 5, with Sanders stuck at QB3. Even though Flacco has since followed Pickett out the door via trade, Kevin Stefanski stopped short of confirming Sanders would be the team’s backup moving forward.

Bailey Zappe resides on the Browns’ practice squad. Stefanski said (via the Lorain Morning Journal’s Jeff Schudel) he was not ready to name a backup as of Wednesday, calling into question Sanders’ role once again. Although Sanders is believed to have shown improvement and received additional work post-practice, maturity concerns have presented themselves.

Multiple speeding violations occurred in the offseason, and Sanders took a strange step when interviewed following the news of Gabriel’s promotion last week. As could be expected, the Colorado alum pantomiming answers to media questions went over oddly. While Sanders held a discussion with Browns officials (per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport) about his decision to conduct a silent press conference of sorts, the Browns not turning to him as their unquestioned backup post-Flacco does not exactly paint a glowing picture of the fifth-rounder’s organizational standing.

Jimmy Haslam said in August the Browns needed to see both Gabriel and Sanders play before determining their 2026 draft path. Sanders’ scout-team work in practice has led to a role as the team’s emergency QB3, meaning (thanks to the Brock Purdy rule) he could only play if the team’s first two passers went down. Zappe rejoined the Browns after the Chiefs cut him in training camp and has resided on the team’s practice squad since. The Browns could elevate Zappe for Week 6 without making a corresponding roster move.

If Cleveland elevates Zappe over Sanders, more attention will be paid to the latter’s development (or lack thereof). It would lend more weight to the narrative ownership wanted Sanders while Stefanski and Andrew Berry did not. Haslam and Berry denied such an order took place, of course, though the Browns circling back to Sanders after choosing Gabriel in Round 3 remains an unusual route. A value-based play led Sanders to Ohio. The Browns want Sanders to be ready if/when he is called upon. A former Patriots draftee, Zappe has made nine NFL starts — including one with the Browns last season — and would make sense as a stopgap backup while Sanders continues to acclimate.

The Browns, of course, technically have four quarterbacks rostered. Deshaun Watson remains on the team’s reserve/PUP list. It has long been viewed as unlikely the Browns will deploy Watson this season, and Rapoport adds nothing is believed to have changed on that front.

Watson is recovering a second Achilles tear. The high-priced quarterback submitted woeful work last season, with Stefanski repeatedly asked to justify why he had not benched him. Because of the five-year, fully guaranteed $230MM extension Watson signed in 2022 (and the numerous restructures the team has made for cap purposes), he remains on Cleveland’s roster.

Stefanski declined to address the prospect of Watson playing this season, indicating he is “so focused on this week.” Watson resumed throwing in mid-May but spent camp on the active/PUP list before being transferred to the reserve/PUP list in late August. Over the summer, some in the embattled QB’s camp were optimistic he would be cleared in late October or early November, per Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer. But nothing has come to pass yet.

Considering Haslam admitted the trade was a mistake, it would surprise if Watson played for the Browns again. But with Pickett and Flacco gone, the QB technically has fewer obstacles in his path. Though, the Browns’ need to evaluate Gabriel and Sanders — and the team’s natural interest in the 2026 QB class — would interfere with a Watson return.

“He’s doing an excellent job with his rehab,” Stefanski said, via Pro Football Talk’s Myles Simmons. “We haven’t seen him as part of the throwing process with the team and those types of things. But he’s working very hard. He’s doing a great job in the meeting room.”

Bengals Pursued Several QB Options Before Settling On Joe Flacco

October 8th, 2025 at 5:40pm CST by Ben Levine

The Bengals initially hoped that Jake Browning would be able to keep the ship afloat as the team awaited Joe Burrow‘s return from injury. However, after the fill-in tossed three interceptions for his third-straight loss, the front office decided to pivot, bringing in Joe Flacco to temporarily guide the offense.

However, the Bengals did explore some other options before ultimately settling on the 40-year-old signal caller. According to ESPN’s Dan Graziano, the front office called around to any team that had some extra QB depth. In fact, there was “some chatter” surrounding Cincy’s pursuit of Seahawks QB Drew Lock and Eagles QB Sam Howell. On the flip side, none of Russell Wilson, Jameis Winston, nor Kirk Cousins were “ever real possibilities” for the franchise.

Both Lock and Howell represent younger options than Flacco (it’d be hard not to). Lock has 28 games of starting experience, with close to half of those appearances coming with the Broncos in 2020. After going 1-4 in five starts with the Giants in 2024, Lock inked a two-year contract with the Seahawks this past offseason. That means the QB would have brought some extra team control to Cincinnati.

Howell is playing out the final season of his rookie contract, and a deal with Cincinnati would have marked his fourth trade since March of 2024. Howell was actually Lock’s predecessor as Seattle’s QB2, as he got limited reps while backing up Geno Smith in 2024. Before that, he started all 17 games for the Commanders in 2023, tossing 21 touchdowns vs. a league-leading 21 interceptions.

Any of Wilson, Winston, and Cousins would have brought their own intrigue to the Bengals. Wilson was recently benched for rookie Jaxson Dart in New York, and Winston has yet to see the field as a Giants backup in 2025. Cousins is somehow still kicking around Atlanta, although he did make a cameo in a blowout loss to the Panthers last month.

Flacco was ultimately the team’s choice as a stopgap quarterback. According to Graziano, the Bengals didn’t anticipate any acquisition to immediately be inserted into the starting lineup, but the team is apparently hopeful that Flacco will be able to start this weekend against the Packers. If he’s not ready to go, then the veteran would be set to make his Bengals debut the following Thursday night against the Steelers.

Bengals To Start QB Joe Flacco In Week 6

October 8th, 2025 at 1:45pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Bengals head coach Zac Taylor announced Wednesday (via The Athletic’s Paul Dehner Jr.) newly acquired quarterback Joe Flacco will take all the reps in practice this week and start against the Packers on Sunday.

Trading for Flacco expressed Cincinnati’s clear desire to make a change at quarterback after three straight losses with Jake Browning under center. They will make the switch right away, which will force Flacco to quickly get up to speed in his new offense.

The Bengals were hoping Browning could keep the offense afloat after Joe Burrow‘s injury and keep their season alive in case the two-time Pro Bowler makes a return late in the year. Instead, Browning threw multiple interceptions in three of his four games, handicapping Cincinnati on both sides of the ball.

Historically light in terms of in-season player acquisition volume in trades, the Bengals bent on their usual stance after Browning threw three more interceptions in a one-sided loss to the Lions. They acquired Flacco and a 2026 sixth-round pick from the Browns for a 2026 fifth. Flacco also struggled with INTs with the Browns, leading to his benching, and Pro Football Focus ranking the Bengals’ O-line 32nd through five games still could create a high degree of difficulty for the statuesque trade pickup. But the Bengals were sinking fast; they will try Flacco immediately.

Taylor left the door open to a Browning benching, after previously voicing support for Burrow’s backup, after Week 5. The team considered several QB options early this week, and VP of player personnel Duke Tobin brought Flacco to Taylor’s attention (via ESPN.com’s Ben Baby) to gauge the coach’s interest before making the deal. As could be expected, Kevin Stefanski confirmed (via The Athletic’s Zac Jackson) the Bengals made the first trade contact on the QB. After Taylor gave his approval, another Ohio learning curve will take place for Flacco.

While Flacco will be in the historically interesting position of facing the Packers twice in three weeks with two different teams, he has considerable success picking up an offense on the fly. His first Browns stint, though, did feature a longer ramp-up period.

With Deshaun Watson suffering a season-ending shoulder injury, the Browns initially signed Flacco on Nov. 19, 2023. They faced the Broncos with Dorian Thompson-Robinson at the controls days later, not turning to Flacco until the following week. Flacco debuted Dec. 3 and lost his first start (to the Rams). The aging QB, who did not receive much free agency interest that offseason, proceeded to win his next four starts to move the injury-battered Browns to a surprising wild-card berth. That earned him Comeback Player of the Year acclaim and Stefanski his second Coach of the Year honor.

The Bengals will give Flacco a similar assignment, counting on the 18th-year veteran to salvage a sinking season. He will team with Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Chase Brown. Although Flacco played with Amari Cooper in 2023, the Chase-Higgins combo will easily be the best of his career. While challenges present themselves in terms of Cincy’s O-line keeping Flacco upright, the team’s pass-catching talent will make this an interesting experiment.

Sam Robinson contributed to this post.

Bengals Acquire Joe Flacco From Browns

October 7th, 2025 at 10:15pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Bengals have indeed changed their tune on a quarterback trade. They will make an intra-AFC North swap, with NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero reporting the team is set to acquire Joe Flacco from the Browns. The deal is now official pending a physical.

Cleveland will acquire a fifth-round pick from Cincinnati, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, who adds this pick-swap exchange will involve a sixth going back to the Bengals. The sixth going to Cincy is originally a Detroit selection from the November 2024 Za’Darius Smith trade. The picks are in the 2026 draft, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson.

After Zac Taylor indicated Jake Browning‘s starting job was in jeopardy, the Bengals will acquire a QB — just not one previously mentioned could be in play. As should be expected, the Bengals (per Schefter) want Flacco to be ready for their Week 6 game against the Packers.

Rather than a bigger swing for Russell Wilson or Kirk Cousins, the Bengals — already rostering a $55MM-per-year contract via the September 2023 Joe Burrow extension — will take on Flacco’s one-year, $4.25MM deal. Only $1.26MM of that is tied up in base salary, meaning the Bengals will only be on the hook for around $1MM in additional salary. The Browns will take on $999K in 2025 dead money and, due to void years on Flacco’s deal, $1.4MM in 2026, per Spotrac.

This marks the third time Flacco has been traded. The Broncos obtained the former Super Bowl MVP from the Ravens in 2019, and the Jets reacquired him from the Eagles in 2021. No calls went to the Giants on Wilson or Jameis Winston, per The Athletic’s Dianna Russini. As of Sunday morning, no calls were believed to have gone out. A rough Browning showing against the Lions looks to have changed the team’s stance. While New York retains its Wilson-Winston-Jaxson Dart quarterback room, Cleveland has dealt into its previous four-man competition once again.

This will be Flacco’s seventh NFL destination, and he is now a Steelers stop from completing the AFC North cycle. The Browns benched the 40-year-old passer ahead of their Week 5 London trip, going with Dillon Gabriel. Cleveland’s QB depth chart — which once housed both Flacco and Kenny Pickett — has changed significantly over the past several weeks. Cleveland sent Pickett to Las Vegas just before the season. This marks the team’s third QB trade (for a veteran), as it also acquired Pickett from Philadelphia in March, this year.

Receiving poor play from Browning — after he had proved surprisingly effective in 2023 — the Bengals had been calling teams on QBs for the past 48 hours, Rapoport adds. This is just the third in-season player acquisition via trade since 1973 for the Bengals, who obtained offensive lineman B.J. Finney in 2020 and running back Khalil Herbert last season. It is a last-ditch move aimed at salvaging a season that has skidded well off track following Burrow’s toe injury.

This marks the first time the Bengals have obtained a player from a division rival in a trade since they landed Hall of Fame wide receiver Charlie Joiner and linebacker Ron Pritchard for running backs Paul Robinson and Fred Willis from the then-AFC Central rival Oilers, SI.com’s Jay Morrison notes. This marks just the third time this century division rivals have swapped veteran QBs. Although this has happened before the 21st century, the 2002 Drew Bledsoe and 2010 Donovan McNabb swaps (h/t ESPN’s Evan Kaplan) mark the only such instances since 2000.

This move also comes eight years after the Bengals and Browns nearly made a trade involving Cincinnati backup QB A.J. McCarron. The Browns had been close to acquiring McCarron, but the deal was not finalized in time. The teams will link up on this Flacco swap nearly a month before this year’s trade deadline.

The Browns and Bengals faced off in Week 1, with Flacco facing Burrow. By the sides’ Week 18 rematch, Cincy hopes to have Burrow back at the controls. After losing three straight blowouts, the Bengals looked closer to eventually determining Burrow would need to be shelved for the season’s remainder. Now, they will hope Flacco can elevate their offense in hopes of revitalizing contention hopes in what could be Trey Hendrickson‘s final season in Cincinnati.

In Week 1, the Bengals edged a Flacco-quarterbacked Browns team 17-16. Cleveland doubled up Cincinnati in first downs (22-11), and Flacco completed 31 of 45 passes for 290 yards. He threw a touchdown pass and two interceptions, but both picks came on drops by Browns receivers. Flacco, though, has been unable to curb his INT trend, leading to the Gabriel promotion. The 18th-year veteran threw four more INTs from Weeks 2-4, completing just 58.1% of his passes at an anemic 5.1 yards per attempt. Flacco’s weaponry situation will improve significantly, however, following this trade.

Although Flacco is not exactly the most stable option, his 2023 Cleveland cameo shows the upgrade Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins could see. The Browns added Flacco on a practice squad deal that year, giving him five starts following Deshaun Watson‘s season-ending injury. Flacco led a team missing Nick Chubb and both starting tackles to the playoffs, going 4-1 as a starter and winning Comeback Player of the Year acclaim.

The Browns flamed out in the wild-card round and did not make Flacco an offer to stay, making a final bid to build around Watson in 2024. Flacco ended up in Indianapolis as Anthony Richardson insurance, but after the Colts signed Daniel Jones this offseason, he returned to Cleveland as the elder statesman in an otherwise young QB room.

Making 195 career starts, the former 11-year Ravens QB1 prevailed in the Browns’ four-man quarterback competition this summer. It did not turn out to be very close, as a Pickett hamstring injury removed him from the running. Pickett is now backing up Geno Smith in Las Vegas. With the Browns undoubtedly eyeing a 2026 draft move for a longer-term replacement, Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders‘ presences notwithstanding, the team being unconcerned with dealing a passer to help a division rival makes sense. Sanders, despite his strange mime routine following the news Flacco would be Cleveland’s QB2 following the Gabriel elevation, should also be expected to rise from QB3 to QB2 on Cleveland’s depth chart.

Browning will be set to slide down Cincinnati’s. After replacing an injured Burrow more effectively in 2023, Browning proved woeful — save for some garbage-time work against the Lions — in his second Cincy starter stint. He threw eight interceptions in four games, including three against Detroit in Week 5.

The Bengals lost by a combined 113-37 against the Vikings, Broncos and Lions. Taylor had gone from offering Browning support ahead of Week 5 to walking it back following the home loss to the Lions. The 2-3 team is throwing a Hail Mary of sorts in Flacco, but the operation was careening off the rails with Browning running the show.

Flacco went 2-4 as a Colts starter last season, and while he posted a 12:7 TD-INT ratio, his form did not closely rival the 2023 Cleveland work. The Bengals also have experienced O-line issues for years. Going into Week 5, Pro Football Focus ranked Cincinnati’s O-line last in the NFL. The stationary QB could struggle behind that quintet, even though he operated well without then-Browns starting tackles Jedrick Wills and Jack Conklin late in the ’23 season.

This will be a wildly interesting experiment for the Bengals, who paid up to extend both Chase and Higgins this offseason. Browning’s form had reduced the marquee receivers’ value; the team will hope Flacco can restore it while Burrow rehabs. A mid-December return is viewed as the goal for Burrow. Flacco helping at least restore offensive competency would stand to keep that hope in play.

Joe Flacco Did Not Request Trade From Browns

October 7th, 2025 at 5:10pm CST by Connor Byrne

Quarterback Joe Flacco‘s second stint in Cleveland ended when the Browns surprisingly traded him to AFC North rival Cincinnati on Tuesday. Flacco did not request a trade, but he did welcome the move and a chance at more playing time, according to Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com.

After spending last season with the Colts, Flacco rejoined the Browns on a one-year contract last April. That came after the Browns acquired fellow veteran signal-caller Kenny Pickett in a trade with the Eagles. Continuing a makeover of their QB room, the Browns went on to select Dillon Gabriel in the third round and Shedeur Sanders in the fifth round of the draft.

With Gabriel and Sanders around as developmental prospects, Flacco and Pickett entered training camp as the front-runners to earn the starting job. Flacco ultimately won the role with ease after Pickett suffered a hamstring injury early in the summer. The Browns wound up trading Pickett to the Raiders in late August, leaving Flacco as the veteran mentor to the two rookies.

At 40 years old, Flacco was never expected to be anything more than a Band-Aid for the Browns. The team pulled the plug on Flacco earlier than expected, though, after he threw two touchdowns against six interceptions during a 1-3 start. Gabriel took over as the starter before last Sunday’s 21-17 loss to the Vikings.

The left-handed Gabriel went without a turnover in his debut and completed 19 of 33 passes for 190 yards and two touchdowns. It may be a long shot, but he’ll have a chance to establish himself as the Browns’ long-term starter. Either Sanders or practice squad QB Bailey Zappe could back up Gabriel against the Steelers on Sunday.

Flacco is again in a stopgap role in Cincinnati, but he is joining a talented offense that includes a few high-end weapons, including wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. He could start as early as this week against Green Bay in place of Jake Browning, whose poor performance filling in for the injured Joe Burrow necessitated a QB trade. The 2-3 Bengals suffered three straight ugly losses under Browning, who has matched Flacco’s INT total (eight, with six TDs) this season. Flacco led the Browns to their only 2025 victory — over the Packers — in Week 3.

Thanks to Browning’s immense struggles, the Bengals discussed “several” different signal-callers over the past 48 hours, according to Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic. The Bengals ended up swinging a deal with their in-state rivals for Flacco, who they hope will play well enough to keep them alive in the AFC North race.

Browns To Start QB Dillon Gabriel In Week 5

October 1st, 2025 at 11:28pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Browns will start rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel in place of veteran Joe Flacco in their Week 5 matchup in London, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

The team confirmed that Gabriel would be taking over under center, as first reported by CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz on Tuesday. Shedeur Sanders will remain in place as the third-string quarterback, per The Athletic’s Dianna Russini.

Cleveland has long been expected to give Gabriel a try at some point this season. After four rough outings by Flacco – featuring a 2:6 touchdown-to-interception ratio and career lows of 5.1 yards per attempt and a 60.3 passer rating – the rookie will get his chance. Sunday will not be Gabriel’s debut, as he played at the end of blowout losses in Weeks 2 and 4, but it will be his first extended action in the pros.

Head coach Kevin Stefanski certainly did not choose the easiest or simplest week to make such a significant change. The Browns are in London this week, contending with a bevy of added factors including the time difference and lack of access to their usual facilities. They are also playing the Vikings, who have been across the pond since last Friday, giving them more time to acclimate.

Minnesota’s defense has also been a top-10 unit this season. They rank ninth in points allowed and seventh in total defense with the third-best passing defense. Defensive coordinator Brian Flores has harassed opposing quarterbacks with a 35.8% blitz rate (fourth-highest) and a 31.7% pressure rate (second-highest) with a variety of creative pressure packages. As a result, Gabriel’s first NFL start could be a rough one, though Tony Grossi of The Land on Demand notes that the rookie may introduce a “quicker pace” to the Browns offense.

Stefanski addressed the quarterback change on Wednesday, saying of Gabriel (via ESPN’s Daniel Oyefusi): “From the second he’s been here, he’s been working very hard. He’s a very intelligent young man. He’s done a nice job throughout practice and this whole season he’s been learning how to get yourself ready and understand the rhythm of an NFL week and what that looks like as a backup. Obviously now feel like he’s ready to go as a starter.”

Gabriel’s ascendance marks a number of milestones. He is the Browns’ 41st starting quarterback since the team was re-established in 1999, and the 12th quarterback in six years of Stefanski’s tenure, per Grossi. Gabriel is also the third rookie quarterback to start this season, and the first non-first-rounder.

With Cooper Rush expected to start in the place of an injured Lamar Jackson in Week 5, the AFC North’s quarterbacks are now Gabriel, Rush, Jake Browning in Cincinnati, and Aaron Rodgers in Steelers. Rodgers is the only Week 1 starter left standing, while Browning took over for Joe Burrow after he went down with turf toe.

Though Sanders will remain third on the depth chart, he could still play this season, per CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones. Cleveland’s willingness to give one rookie a chance suggests that Sanders could receive a similar opportunity if Gabriel falters, though he will certainly get a few games to prove himself.

Browns HC Kevin Stefanski Noncommittal On Week 5 Starting QB

September 29th, 2025 at 11:18pm CST by Adam La Rose

Joe Flacco has handled starting quarterback duties through the first four weeks of the season. Cleveland’s setup under center could change in the near future, though.

When speaking to the media on Monday, head coach Kevin Stefanski was asked repeatedly about the quarterback position. Flacco and the offense have not fared well so far, raising the possibility of a switch being made. Nothing is official yet, but Stefanski declined multiple opportunities to confirm Flacco will occupy the top spot on the depth chart in Week 5.

“I just would tell you, I understand the question and I understand the scrutiny that comes with the position,” Stefanski said (via Chris Easterling of the Akron Beacon Journal). “But we have to play better as an offense. We have to do a better job at all positions, including coaching. That’s really what I want to get across.”

Flacco has topped 200 passing yards only once this season, completing just 58.1% of his pass attempts. The 40-year-old has also thrown six interceptions compared to two touchdowns, figures which add to the case in favor of a change taking place. Flacco has long been expected to serve merely as a bridge QB during his second Browns stint with the reins ultimately being handed over to one of the team’s rookie passers.

Throughout the offseason, it became clear Cleveland’s preferred backup quarterback was Dillon Gabriel. That stance was confirmed after Kenny Pickett was dealt to the Raiders shortly before the start of the campaign. Taken in the third round of this year’s draft, Gabriel has seen spare usage during the closing stages in two of Cleveland’s three losses. His performances in that small sample size – three-of-four passing, one touchdown – will presumably not be a major factor in the decision Stefanski has yet to make (or at least announce).

Fellow rookie Shedeur Sanders is currently Cleveland’s third-string passer, meaning he has only been able to dress as the team’s emergency quarterback to date. If that were to change, Flacco would need to be relegated to QB3 status after handling the starter’s workload to start the campaign. Such a shift would certainly be a surprise, meaning the former Super Bowl MVP will likely find himself no lower than second on the depth chart for the time being.

The Browns also have Bailey Zappe on the practice squad. With 15 games and nine starts to his name, the former Patriots draftee could offer Cleveland a slightly more experienced alternative if Flacco is to be replaced. In any event, it was recently reported neither Gabriel nor Sanders will likely be able to do enough in the QB1 spot to prevent a first-round quarterback being taken in 2026.

For Gabriel in particular, receiving the opportunity to take over starting duties sooner rather than later could give him the time to change the Browns’ minds on that front. It will certainly be interesting to see if his first chance at the helm will come in Week 5, which will see Cleveland take on Minnesota in London.

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