Cleveland's QB competition is officially over.
The Browns named Joe Flacco the Week 1 starter, the club announced on Monday.
Despite having six quarterbacks under contract, a genuine competition never truly materialized during training camp, with Flacco as the wire-to-wire frontrunner.
A Kenny Pickett hamstring injury all but ended the veteran-versus-veteran aspect of the competition. While rookie Shedeur Sanders turned some heads during the first preseason game, he never truly threatened Flacco, and an oblique injury silenced the threat. Fellow first-year QB Dillon Gabriel also dealt with a hamstring injury before starting the second preseason game. Tyler Huntley was signed due to the injuries as a camp arm. link-placeholder-4 is on the physically unable to perform list.
By all accounts, Flacco was the clear-cut starter all of training camp. He didn't participate in preseason action through the first two weeks.
Flacco always made the most sense to open the season. His previous success in Kevin Stefanski's system in 2023, which helped the Browns reach the postseason, made the 40-year-old the best option. His ability to stretch the field plays well with Stefanski's scheme, and he can lead a run-first offense, ensuring the club is in the proper play.
The main question is whether the veteran can avoid turnovers for the defensive-led club. Flacco threw eight interceptions in five games in 2023 and seven in six starts last year in Indianapolis. If he can cut down on the picks, the Browns should keep games close on the strength of their Myles Garrett-led defense.
The Browns' difficult opening slate of the season -- versus Cincinnati, Baltimore, Green Bay, Detroit, Minnesota and Pittsburgh in the first six weeks – also lent itself to Flacco opening the season as the starter.
Entering Year 18, Flacco gives the Browns the best chance to win early, but he's not a long-term solution to the QB merry-go-round that has spun for decades in Cleveland. If they rack up losses, however, Stefanski will likely give one of the younger players a shot. The team will want to know what they have before they go back to the signal-caller market in 2026.
