Joe Flacco is Returning to the Browns

Joe Flacco is returning to the Browns on April 11, 2025, and is competing against three other quarterbacks for the starting position.

People view Flacco as an extremely skilled player who doesn’t need to practice a lot to prepare for the 18th season.

During the Spring and the first few days of training camp, he spent a lot of time watching Kenny Pickett, a fourth-year passer, and rookies Dillion Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders practice the most.

Although the 40-year-old former Super Bowl MVP just returned to the Browns in April, he wasn’t extremely upset about it—but he wasn’t exactly happy about it either.

“Maybe I don’t need as many reps,” Flacco told The Athletic last week before Browns‘ first padded practice of the summer, “But I do need reps. And not only do I need reps, I want reps, I like reps. I want to get better. And also, I want to be able to show guys, hey I can still do it.”

Since Pickett got a hamstring injury on the fourth day of camp, Flacco got more opportunities with the first team defenders. This week, he was even listed at the top of Browns‘ first summer depth chart.

He’s determined to convince teammates and Coach Kevin Stefanski that he’s the same player he was in 2023 when he signed with Cleveland in November and helped get them to the playoffs with four victories in five starts.

For his effort, he was even voted the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year.

Oddly enough, the Browns never offered a chance to come back to Cleveland in 2024, surprising many around the NFL and especially those in the team locker room.

Tight end David Njoku, who made the Pro Bowl during the 2023 season, stated, “I was more pissed than surprised.”

The Browns were in an odd position because in March 2022, they traded five draft picks—including three first-rounders—to the Houston Texans for quarterback Deshaun Watson. Watson signed the three-time Pro Bowl alternative, promising the five-year $230 million contract.

Watson, whose first season in Cleveland included an 11-game suspension for violating the league’s personal conduct policy (he was accused of sexual misconduct during massage therapy sessions by 2 dozen women), also suffered shoulder injuries in 2023, going through a season-ending surgery that November.

He was a lot different after he was healthy again; he didn’t look anything like the great player he once was during the four seasons with the Texans.

Brown had spent a large amount of money and resources on Watson, so the general manager, Andrew Berry and other decision makers knew that Flacco’s return last season might’ve increased pressure. For example, people might think that Flacco is better and should be the starter instead of Watson. That is most likely the reason why the Browns never signed Flacco back.

Watson also suffered a season-ending injury; a torn achilles tendon last October, when he tore it again and went through a second surgery in January, which could possibly keep him out of the 2025 season.

In March, the Browns owner, Jimmy Haslam, said the Watson trade was a “big swing and miss,” meaning they’ll most likely move on from him after the season.

Cleveland is also trying to recover from 3 wins and 14 losses and may bring Flacco back, as he won 2/6 games as a starter for the Colts last season. Due to Anthony Richardson’s hip injury, Flacco got to play as a starter and use his experience as a veteran to help his team.

Stefanski, a two-time NFL Coach of the Year, may get fired if he loses another season, so it might be too risky to let Gabriel, who was drafted in the third round, or Sanders, who was picked in the fifth round after a high-profile free-fall play as a starter.

Stefanski states, “I want to make sure that we go through this process, that we give these guys rep and learn from it.”

Pickett was drafted in the first round in 2022 by the Browns’ rival, the Pittsburgh Steelers, and spent last year as Jalen Hurts‘ backup for the Super Bowl winner, the Philadelphia Eagles, as he attempts to get his career back on track. He also got to practice with the starters until he hurt his hamstring, and now he’s only doing individual drills. However, Stefanski had said he was always planning to increase his practice time as they get closer and closer to the beginning of the season.

“Joe’s seen it all and he relies on his experience, but I think it’d be unfair to Joe to give him nothing,” Stefanski said.

He also added, “Because he’s number one, he’s got to stay sharp. Technically, he needs to work on all those fundamental types of things. But also, he was to show what he can do. And I think his teammates want to see it as well.”

“I don’t want them to assume I can or can’t. I don’t want people to think, ‘Why is Joe doing this?’ I want to show them why I’m doing it. I can adjust to the fact that if I have to play with (only) a little bit of reps, I’ll do it. The harder part is not getting to show who I am.”

“And listen, I like to play football, when ur on the practice field and there’s reps going around, you want to be in there and you want to be getting them.”

Flacco was the first-round draft pick of the Baltimore Ravens in 2008 and was even a starter as a rookie.

He’s kept in mind that the Browns could do the same with Gabriel or Sanders, who were both amazing college players.

The Browns moved up in the draft to get Sanders in the 5th round and rejected multiple trade offers for Gabriel, showing they want to progress with both rookies.

Sanders sat out on Saturday’s practice due to a sore throwing shoulder. And although Gabriel was restricted by hamstring tightness on Monday, he got more reps with the starters compared to Sanders.

Most veterans tend to ignore rookies that might replace them, but Flacco said he is devoted to helping Gabriel and Sanders adjust to the NFL.

Flacco explains, “I feel like I try to be a good person, so all I can do is do my job to the best of my ability. If that means I’m not the guy, well, yeah, I might feel a certain way about it, but I’m not gonna be bitter about it towards other people that didn’t do anything to me.”

“That quarterback room is a sacred room. I think you’ve got to treat people right by in that room and help them—anything to help the team.”

Flacco is confident that he can still play at a high level like Aaron Rodgers, and Stefanki seems to agree. He says he’s still making the throws Flacco is well known for.

Back in 2013, Joe Flacco threw a famous 70-yard touchdown to Jacoby Jones that helped bring the Ravens to the Super Bowl XLVII. Flacco is convinced that he can still throw the ball that far.

“I mean, I think everybody’s probably a little unrealistic when they’re self evaluating,” he laughed, “but I’m honest with myself. Maybe I’m not my 29-year-old self, but I feel really good. I feel that I can still move, and my arm is all of what it’s ever been.”