Aug 26, 2023; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski looks on during the second half against the Kansas City Chiefs at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
Cleveland Browns sign veteran QB Joe Flacco to practice squad
CLEVELAND — It appears the Browns will indeed have another option at quarterback.
On Monday, the team confirmed that they have signed veteran QB Joe Flacco to the practice squad. To make room on the roster, the Browns released WR Trinity Benson.
Just hours after Cleveland’s 13-10 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, multiple outlets began reporting that the Browns would be signing the 38-year-old Flacco to its practice squad. ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Field Yates also added that Flacco is expected to eventually promoted to the Browns’ active roster, a move coming in the wake of normal starter Deshaun Watson’s season-ending injury.
Flacco, who worked out for the Browns in Berea last week, comes with 15 years of NFL experience, including 11 with the AFC North rival Baltimore Ravens. During that stretch, the Delaware alum not only won 10 playoff games as well as a Super Bowl MVP, but also enjoyed a 17-3 record against Cleveland.
Yet while Flacco has thrown for 42,320 yards and 232 touchdowns during his career, his days as a consistent starter are long behind him, and he has bounced around the league since being benched in favor of Lamar Jackson five years ago. His most recent action came a season ago with the New York Jets, when he threw for 1,051 yards, five touchdowns, and three interceptions in five games (four starts) that included a come-from-behind victory over the Browns in Cleveland.
The Browns currently sport an impressive 7-3 record despite the quarterback position being a revolving door almost from the jump. Watson was expected to fully take the reins this year after being suspended for most of 2022, but wound up missing three of four starts with a shoulder injury. He returned to put up impressive numbers in a pair of wins, only to have his season cut short by a fracture in the same right shoulder.
In Watson’s absence, Cleveland has turned to a combination of fifth-round rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson and former XFL star P.J. Walker, going 2-2 in the pair’s four starts (Walker also played most of a win over the Indianapolis Colts that Watson originally started). Walker boasts much more NFL experience, but it was Thompson-Robinson getting his second start Sunday against Pittsburgh, going 24 of 43 for 165 yards and an interception along with a 54.9 passer rating.
