Cleveland Browns name Joe Flacco starting QB for Week 1 vs. Bengals

Quarterback Joe Flacco will start for the Cleveland Browns in their Week 1 matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Flacco won the starting job over Kenny Pickett, along with rookie quarterbacks Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders.

Flacco signed with the Browns this offseason after spending the 2024 campaign with the Indianapolis Colts. Flacco began last season as the Colts’ backup QB behind Anthony Richardson.

However, after Richardson suffered an injury in Week 4, Flacco took the reins. The veteran QB delivered, leading the Colts to a 27-24 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers.

While Flacco didn’t remain the Colts’ starter for the entire season, he showed promising flashes when given the opportunity. Flacco finished the season with 1,761 passing yards and 12 touchdowns, compared to seven interceptions.

This season won’t be Flacco’s first with the Browns in his career. He also played for Cleveland in 2023, signing with the team after starter DeShaun Watson suffered a season-ending injury.

After serving most of the year as a backup, Flacco was named the Browns’ QB1 in Week 13. He remained the team’s starter for the remainder of the season, and started in the Browns’ lone playoff game. For his efforts, he was named the NFL Comeback Player of the Year by the Associated Press.

With 17 NFL seasons under his belt, Joe Flacco is ready to lead the Browns once again. Head coach Kevin Stefanski is excited to have Flacco’s leadership guiding the Browns’ offense.

“Joe’s the same guy that he was then,” Stefanski said on Aug. 13. “He’s the same guy every single day. I think that’s one of the things you admire about Joe is how he approaches his business. He’s done a really nice job in camp. He’s also done a really nice job just providing leadership to the quarterback room, to the offense and to the football team.”

Although Flacco will be Cleveland’s Week 1 starter, the other quarterbacks on the team must stay prepared. After all, Flacco has suffered a variety of back and knee issues in the past.

As the second most experienced player in the quarterback room, Kenny Pickett is currently listed as the QB2 on the depth chart. Alas, Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders have been impressive during the NFL preseason, with Pickett out due to a hamstring injury.

On Sept. 7, the Cleveland Browns will square off against the Bengals in their season-opener at 1 p.m. ET. The game will air live on FOX.