The Cleveland Browns named Joe Flacco QB1 on their first unofficial depth chart of the preseason, but that does not necessarily mean he’s got job security.
All three of Flacco’s counterparts in Cleveland’s QB competition were battling injuries at the time of the team’s announcement; Kenny Pickett (QB2) and Dillon Gabriel (QB3) were/are dealing with hamstring strains, while Shedeur Sanders (QB4) had missed time with a sore shoulder.
The Browns afforded Pickett and Gabriel more first-team reps throughout preseason work heading into training camp, and multiple NFL insiders named Pickett the frontrunner for the starting job when camp began in late July.
Head coach Kevin Stefanski bestowed the majority of first-team reps onto Flacco after Pickett strained his hamstring July 26, and the former first-round pick remains limited by that injury.
Despite that, Brent Sobleski of Bleacher Report on Tuesday, August 5, dubbed Flacco among the biggest names likely to find himself on the roster bubble come the end of August.
The picture may be clearer in Cleveland if Kenny Pickett hadn’t suffered a hamstring injury that kept him from participating in a few days of training camp sessions. Even so, the 2022 first-round draft pick may still hold a slight edge over the 40-year-old Joe Flacco.
Where’s the upside with Flacco? Cleveland wants to compete this fall, while also looking for growth potential at the game’s most important position. Pickett, alongside rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders, at least provide some long-term hope.
Kenny Pickett Has More Career Left Than Joe Flacco, More Potential as Longterm Answer for Browns
GettyCleveland Browns quarterbacks Kenny Pickett (left) and Joe Flacco (right).
Among Cleveland’s biggest concerns is, or at least should be, trying to navigate the first six games without going winless against a brutal slate and letting all the air out of the season before it hits the halfway point.
Another primary initiative should be the protection of Gabriel and Sanders from that difficult run of schedule so neither player loses all of his confidence before ever really getting a chance to build it up.
Selecting a veteran to start for at least the opening third of the campaign is the best way to accomplish both. Thus, if Pickett isn’t healthy enough to get the reps he needs to learn the offense, then Flacco — who led the Browns to a 4-1 mark and the playoffs down the stretch in 2023 — is the only option.
However, if Pickett knows the offense well enough and gets back to full strength before the season opener on September 7, he does make more sense as a medium- to long-term play than the 40-year-old Flacco. It’s not unfeasible that Flacco could be heading into his final season in the NFL after banking more than $180 million in career earnings over his 17-year career.
Joe Flacco Could Possibly Go From QB1 to Unemployed Over Month of August
GettyCleveland Browns quarterback Joe Flacco.
Sobleski also pointed out that Cleveland spent more to acquire Pickett this offseason than it did on any of his three counterparts, trading a fifth-round pick and quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson to the Philadelphia Eagles in order to acquire him.
Pickett was also the first signal-caller the Browns pursued once the new league year officially began in March.
Cleveland isn’t likely to carry four quarterbacks into the regular season. The team also isn’t likely to trade or cut either of its rookies before Week 1. The fight for the starting job is probably now between Flacco and Pickett, and the loser is likely to find himself on the roster bubble in a few weeks.
If that player happens to be Flacco, he should garner trade interest from at least one or two franchises. But if he doesn’t for whatever reason, it isn’t unfeasible the Browns could cut the former Super Bowl MVP just weeks after opening the preseason with Flacco as QB1 on the depth chart.
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