Browns Make Stunning QB Decision

The Cleveland Browns are starting quarterback Joe Flacco this week against the Los Angeles Rams. Flacco last played with the New York Jets, but has been working out in case an opportunity arose. Now, he can show what he’s got after being on the Browns practice squad. The team has Dorian Thompson-Robinson and P.J. Walker, but Thompson-Robinson will miss the game with a concussion. Walker has struggled mightily in his chances.

Joe Flacco played with the Ravens, Broncos, and Eagles in addition to the Jets. But it is the Ravesn where he is known as someone revered in AFC North football lore. He led Baltimore to a Super Bowl XLVIII win, while earning Super Bowl MVP in that game. Over the years, his game has declined, but Flacco has remained in the NFL as a backup. He has racked up over 42,000 passing yards in his career while throwing for 232 touchdowns and 147 interceptions. Flacco, 38, started four games for the Jets in 2022, throwing five touchdowns and three interceptions. The Jets went 1-3 in those games.

When the Browns landed Flacco, they wanted a third quarterback for insurace but got to see their young quarterback in Thompson-Robinson. Thompson-Robinson, the Browns’ fifth-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft out of UCLA, had started just one game for the Browns in place of Deshaun Watson. Against the Baltimore Ravens on Oct. 1, he completed 19 of 37 passes for 121 yards, no touchdowns, three interceptions, and a 25.3 passer rating as the Browns lost 28-3. Since he led them to a win over the Steelers.

Watson, the team’s starting quarterback, will undergo surgery to repair a broken bone in his right shoulder and miss the remainder of the 2023 season. Watson suffered the injury during his team’s 33-31 comeback win over the Baltimore Ravens. He also suffered a high-ankle sprain, which was originally thought to be the more serious of the two injuries. He underwent an MRI on Monday and after consultation with a specialist, the Browns and Watson decided that surgery to repair the fracture in the glenoid of his throwing shoulder will be necessary.