Joe Flacco

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.

Browns Not Considering Change At QB

September 14th, 2025 at 9:42pm CST by Ely Allen

We’re two weeks into the 2025 season, and the Browns sit, once again, in the AFC North’s basement. The NFL season is long, lots can change, and head coach Kevin Stefanski understands that. That’s why, today, he told the media that he is not considering a quarterback change at the moment, according to Zac Jackson of The Athletic.

A rough start may have been expected given a brutal opening stretch of games that started with the Bengals before heading to a string of 2024 playoff squads in the Ravens, Packers, Lions, Vikings, and Steelers. With so many high-profile matchups to open up their 2025 campaign, it was clear that veteran Joe Flacco gave Cleveland its best chance at finding some victories across that gauntlet.

After several attempts throughout the offseason to land a top-tier quarterback through trade (Matthew Stafford), free agency (Russell Wilson), and the draft (Cam Ward) the Browns ended up with the stable of Flacco, Kenny Pickett, and mid-round rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders. When Pickett was traded for the second time in one offseason, many assumed that Cleveland had its eyes on the 2026 quarterback draft class, which posed a couple questions for how the Browns would handle their season.

Flacco was set in place to start the season and try to win as many games as could be expected with the early playoff slate. Though Week 1 ended in a loss, Flacco cut it loose in the one-point game, throwing for 290 yards. Today’s contest in his familiar old home of Baltimore, Flacco didn’t fare nearly as well against the Ravens. In the 41-17 route, Flacco found the bench late in the fourth quarter, and Gabriel made his NFL debut.

Though, Gabriel completed all three of his pass attempts for 19 yards and a touchdown, there will be no QB controversy as a result. Flacco’s benching appeared to be more of a safety measure, as the game was clearly out of reach and there was no point in the veteran continuing to face a defense that totaled nine quarterback hits on the day.

Based on Stefanski’s comments, Flacco will be back under center to start against the Packers next Sunday. Gabriel may see time again if things get out of hand for either team, and injuries are always possible, but it’s seemingly still too early in the season to give up Flacco, who proved two years ago that he could win games in this system and take this team to the playoffs. It’s important to realize, though, that, at 40 years old, Flacco is not the future of the position in Cleveland.

If, at any point, the season gets out of hand and the playoffs fall out of reach, then it may behoove the team’s decision makers to see what they have in their rookie quarterbacks. Gabriel and/or Sanders may end up developing into difference-makers at the position given some time and experience in NFL games, and if Flacco isn’t going to deliver the team to the playoffs, it would be worth it to see what either quarterback has to offer. At this point, though, it may do more harm than good to put Gabriel and Sanders up against a slew of playoff defenses.

Andrew Berry Confirms Browns Will Keep Four QBs

August 24th, 2025 at 10:51pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Browns general manager Andrew Berry confirmed that all four of the team’s quarterbacks – veterans Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett and rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders – would make the 53-man roster, per ESPN’s Daniel Oyefusi.

Berry said earlier this summer that the team would consider keeping four quarterbacks and now seems poised to follow through. On Saturday, he called it “not much of a decision.”

“We have a room that we like all the guys in there,” said Berry. “We don’t really see that as a problem. We more see it as an opportunity.”

Cleveland’s quarterback situation has been the subject of intense scrutiny, perhaps more than any other in the league. The two veterans were long seen as the likeliest starters, with Flacco winning the job as Pickett dealt with a hamstring injury throughout training camp. Pickett is still expected to be ready to backup Flacco in Week 1, per Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot. Gabriel and Sanders will provide depth, likely in that order, though at least one will be inactive on gamedays.

The focus on The Browns’ 2025 quarterback room comes in spite of signals that the team is planning to prioritize the position in next year’s draft. One such indicator was the acquisition of an extra 2026 first-round pick via the Travis Hunter trade with the Jaguars. Neither Flacco nor Pickett are long-term propositions under center, and the two rookies may not get a chance to establish themselves as future starters this year.

Deshaun Watson is unlikely to regain a starting role in Cleveland, but he’ll still cover more than a quarter of the team’s cap in 2026, per OverTheCap. That could keep the Browns from chasing a veteran in free agency and force them to bet on one of their second-year passers or draft one of the top college quarterback prospects next spring.

Browns Name Joe Flacco Starting QB

August 18th, 2025 at 10:15pm CST by Adam La Rose

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.

Kevin Stefanski: Browns’ Starting QB Decision Coming Soon

August 17th, 2025 at 7:40pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

One of the NFL’s most closely watched training camp competitions will soon have a winner.

Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said on Sunday (via Chris Easterling of the Akron Beacon Journal) that a decision on the team’s starting quarterback would come “sooner rather than later.” He also offered “the next couple of days” as a rough timeline on two occasions.

The Browns’ quarterback competition has long appeared to be a two-man race between veterans Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett. Pickett has been sidelined since late July with a hamstring injury, allowing Flacco to take virtually all of the first-team reps in practice. The 18-year veteran seems to have a commanding lead at this point.

Both of the team’s rookies – third-rounder Dillon Gabriel and fifth-rounder Shedeur Sanders – had successful preseason debuts but don’t seem any closer to the starting gig. Both have missed time due to injury this preseason – a recurring theme for the Browns quarterback room – putting them even further behind in the race as they adjust to a new offense at a higher level of competition.

Gabriel recovered from his hamstring injury to start against the Eagles on Saturday, while Sanders performed well against the Panthers on August 8 before suffering an oblique injury earlier this week. The Browns are hopeful Sanders can return for their third preseason game.

Stefanski will need to name a backup quarterback as well. Pickett would be the obvious choice, but if his absence extends into the regular season, one of the rookies will get the QB2 role initially. Gabriel has taken 14 series with the first-team offense in recent weeks, per Easterling, trailing only Flacco (50 first-team series). That would appear to give the former Oregon standout a slight edge, but Sanders can make a push if he gets back on the field for the Browns’ last preseason game next Saturday.

Browns Unlikely To Make QB Roster Cuts

August 15th, 2025 at 10:49pm CST by Adam La Rose

Throughout the offseason, Browns general manager Andrew Berry has publicly stated a willingness to carry four healthy quarterbacks on the regular season roster. As the cutdown deadline looms, it appears Cleveland will indeed take that route.

Rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders are safe with respect to making the team’s 53-man roster, although it was recently learned Gabriel was the subject of trade interest immediately after he was drafted. The Oregon product has been ahead of Sanders through the offseason, but he – like Kenny Pickett – has missed time during camp due to a hamstring issue.

As a result of Pickett’s missed time and the inexperience of the Browns’ other options, cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot writes Joe Flacco represents the top candidate to begin the season as QB1. It would certainly come as no surprise if the 40-year-old handled starting duties at least early in his second stint with the team, especially with Pickett on the mend. Sanders is dealing with an oblique strain, meanwhile, making it unlikely he suits up for Cleveland’s second preseason contest.

However snaps are handled over the coming weeks, Cabot notes each member of the Flacco-Pickett-Gabriel-Sanders quartet can be expected to survive roster cuts. Deshaun Watson remains in the organization, of course, but as he recovers from a second Achilles tear he is highly unlikely to play in 2025. That leaves recent signing Tyler Huntley in the fold for now, although his return to Cleveland came about in the wake of other injuries under center.

Huntley did not make it to Cleveland’s Week 1 roster during his first stint with the team, and that will no doubt be the case once again in 2025. Even if he is released shortly, however, the Browns’ QB room is set to remain crowded into the fall.

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