Can quarterback Joe Flacco help the Cleveland Browns now that he’s been signed to the team’s practice squad?
After initially passing on the option, the Browns appear to have reconsidered their stance on the experienced signal caller. Is it the right choice?
Still reeling from the loss of their starting quarterback, the Browns’ move to reinforce their ranks with an experienced playmaker is understandable. Yet, one has to question whether this is simply putting a plaster on a sore.
Browns sign Joe Flacco to practice squad
With the loss of starting quarterback Deshaun Watson for the rest of the season due to a shoulder injury, we always knew that the Cleveland Browns were going to have a tough time replacing him. That’s not to say that rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson has not performed credibly. Indeed, the 24-year-old was at the center of a 13-10 win against the division-rival Pittsburgh Steelers just this past weekend. Yet, it’s clear that the Browns are in need of assistance in the QB department.
According to reports on Monday, that help may just have arrived in the form of veteran quarterback Joe Flacco, who’s played for the Baltimore Ravens, Denver Broncos, and New York Jets. Truth be told, the news comes as a bit of a surprise following our previous report, in which we covered the fact that Flacco had in fact worked out with the team, but failed to have an opportunity granted to him. Now it seems, the Browns have had a rethink and are set to sign the 38-year-old to their practice squad.
Joe Flacco by the numbers
Though he’s been out of the league this season, Flacco is an established QB. In the first 11 years of his career, he played for the Baltimore Ravens where he managed to win a Super Bowl in 2012. Following his stint in Baltimore, he would go on to spend just one year in Denver with the Broncos, before going on to play for the New York Jets for three. In both of those teams, he played as both a starter and backup. Most recently, Flacco started four games in 2022, during which he posted a 1-3 record while completing 57.6% of his passes at an average of 5.5 yards per attempt - a career low. In total, he recorded five touchdowns against three interceptions.