Following Deshaun Watson’s season-ending shoulder injury, the Cleveland Browns are trying to add a third quarterback to their roster.
On Friday, various reports surfaced that they were working out former Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco, which head coach Kevin Stefanski declined to comment on. According to recent reports, Flacco has left Cleveland without a contract.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports that the two parties did not reach an agreement following the veteran’s workout in Berea. However, this does not rule out a deal; as Fowler points out, a logistical impediment may prohibit Cleveland from adding Flacco. However, the Super Bowl winner will not be part of the Browns’ plans for Sunday’s game against Pittsburgh.
Without Watson, Cleveland will start rookie quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson against their division opponent. This week, general manager Andrew Berry stated that the team’s thinking on the position would lead to the addition of a third quarterback. Following the Steelers game, the Browns’ brass may certainly reconsider their interest in Flacco and reach an agreement early next week.
Flacco, 38, is nearing the conclusion of his career, having previously played for the Broncos and, most recently, the Jets after 11 seasons in Baltimore. Last season, Flacco orchestrated a spectacular 13-point comeback against the Browns in the last two minutes of their Week 2 game. He appeared in just five games for New York last season, including four starts. Flacco concluded the 2022 season 110-for-191 throwing for 1,051 yards, five touchdowns, and three interceptions.
New York Jets quarterback Joe Flacco (19) drops back to pass against the Miami Dolphins during the second half of an NFL game at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens on January 8, 2023.
Flacco played nine games in his final year in Baltimore in 2018 before being sidelined for the rest of the season due to a hip injury. The previous year marked the last time Flacco played a full 16-game schedule for any team.
Browns wideout Elijah Moore, who spent the 2022 season with Flacco in New York, praised the veteran on Friday.
“I believe Joe is a leader,” Moore remarked. “I believe he has a lot of experience. He knows football, and who wouldn’t want to lean on someone who knows football? They have been playing the game for a long time at the highest level, the MVP level. “So much respect to him.”
