The Cleveland Browns are adding depth to their QB room in the aftermath of starter Deshaun Watson’s season-ending shoulder injury. According to multiple reports, the Browns agreed to a deal with veteran quarterback Joe Flacco.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that Flacco will initially land on the Browns’ practice squad but is expected to be promoted to the active roster in the near future.
Flacco last played in 2022, when he appeared in five games with the New York Jets and made four starts. The 38-year-old completed 57.6 percent of his passes while throwing for 1,051 yards, five touchdowns, and three interceptions last season.
With Watson out, the Browns, who are in the midst of a playoff race in a crowded AFC North, were left with rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson and veteran P.J. Walker as their only options at quarterback.
Thompson-Robinson delivered a solid performance in a 13-10 win over the Steelers on Sunday but is yet to throw a single touchdown pass after two starts. Walker, on the other hand, is completing less than 50% of his passes and has one touchdown as opposed to five picks in 2023.
Joe Flacco will give the Browns a dependable veteran option in case Thompson-Robinson and Walker continue to struggle. Flacco has a 99–81 record in the NFL as a starter, alongside 42,320 passing yards and 232 TDs. He was named Super Bowl MVP after helping the Baltimore Ravens with the Super Bowl XLVII in the 2012 NFL season.
