Joe Flacco hasn’t even won the starting job in Cleveland, and already NFL analysts are projecting when he will lose it.
As upside down as that might sound, however, there is an internal logic to the notion that Flacco will eke out the top spot on the Browns‘ depth chart come Week 1 and then ultimately hand the keys to the offense over to either Dillon Gabriel or Shedeur Sanders at some point during the mid-season.
That was the precise prediction from Bleacher Report’s Alex Kay on Wednesday, July 30.
While Flacco may be a sensible choice going into the new season as a steady hand who can still manage a game, the Browns should not pass up the opportunity for one of their younger QBs to earn valuable reps. If Cleveland continues to struggle out of the gate, Flacco should be yanked in exchange for one of his backups.
With a brutal opening schedule that includes matchups with the rival Cincinnati Bengals and Baltimore Ravens leading into a grueling stretch against all three 2024 NFC North playoff teams, it makes sense to have Flacco shield the youngsters early on. Once the slate softens in mid-October, it will be time for [Kenny] Pickett (or one of the rookies) to take the reins.
Joe Flacco Currently Handling Majority of First-Team Reps at Training Camp
GettyCleveland Browns quarterback Joe Flacco.
Pickett is Flacco’s primary competition for the starting job, although all four active QBs on the roster are technically in the running.
But a hamstring injury that Pickett sustained during practice last weekend may well be enough to tip the scales to Flacco, to whom head coach Kevin Stefanski has handed the majority of first-team rips since.
Stefanski said Monday that Pickett should be back quickly, but any missed time in the Browns’ truncated window to decide on a QB1 is going to be damaging to Pickett’s chances. That, in turn, could damage his tenure in Cleveland, potentially even ending it before it really begins.
Kenny Pickett May Be Traded if Joe Flacco Wins Starting Job Week 1
GettyCleveland Browns quarterback Kenny Pickett.
Dan Graziano of ESPN wrote Monday that the Browns will probably trade a signal-caller ahead of Week 1. A veteran makes more sense for teams who need a QB to step into a top role or backup role immediately, while holding onto their two rookies makes sense for the Browns in case one of them actually pans out.
Because of that, whichever veteran loses his chance to start the first half of the season as a stopgap for Gabriel and Sanders becomes the logical choice for the trade block.
“Cleveland is open to the idea of any one of the four winning the job for Week 1, and the way the coaching staff divides reps in the coming weeks could offer clues about who is in the lead,” Graziano wrote. “It’s also possible — even likely — they end up trading one of these guys before the season starts to ease the logjam.”
The Browns will likely name a QB1 by mid-August, if not before. At that point, the futures of Flacco and Pickett should clear up substantially.
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