Dillon Gabriel, Browns
Getty
Quarterback Dillon Gabriel of the Cleveland Browns.
The Cleveland Browns didn’t inspire much confidence in Week 2 via a blowout road loss against the Baltimore Ravens, which puts starter Joe Flacco in multiple precarious positions.
First and foremost, Flacco’s struggles in Baltimore pushed him that much closer to the cusp of losing his starting job to rookie backup Dillon Gabriel. Both Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano of ESPN named Flacco as the NFL QB in the most “danger of being benched” on Wednesday, September 17.
“Flacco is safe for now but, as with most bridge quarterbacks fending off a rookie backup, the only way to successfully keep the job is to win a few games,” Fowler wrote. “Otherwise, teams pivot to the younger option, thinking the player can spark the offense or provide hope for the future. Flacco has maintained his arm strength and can still move a little. He was very crisp in Week 1. But Dillon Gabriel’s mobility is an asset if or when the Browns turn to him.”
Starting Next Several Weeks Presents Potential Problems for Joe Flacco’s Longevity, Final Chapter of Career
The Cleveland Browns benched Joe Flacco in the fourth quarter against the Baltimore Ravens.
GettyCleveland Browns quarterback Joe Flacco.
Flacco’s second serious concern is that the Browns intend to keep him in the starting lineup as they navigate a brutal stretch of schedule that began with the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 1 and the Ravens last weekend, and which continues with multiple consecutive contests against 2024 playoff teams in the weeks ahead.
That slate starts with the Green Bay Packers in Cleveland this Sunday then the Detroit Lions on the road, Minnesota Vikings in Europe and Pittsburgh Steelers in Pennsylvania.
“Throwing a third-round rookie into any of those environments would be difficult for his first start, making the Oct. 19 game against Miami the most realistic rest stop to change quarterbacks — provided Flacco holds up that long,” Jason Lloyd of The Athletic wrote September 15.
Cleveland affording Flacco the chance to prove himself in the coming contests games is certainly the outcome the 40-year-old QB would prefer. But that equation changes a little if the Browns expressly intend to yank Flacco from the lineup ahead of a Week 7 matchup with the Dolphins, and he knows that’s the plan.
In that scenario, Flacco is nothing more than a meat shield for Gabriel, and potentially QB3 Sheduer Sanders, playing with a subpar roster against some of the league’s toughest teams.
While those circumstances do not necessarily lend themselves to Flacco sustaining injury, although they could, that level of opponent week-in and week-out combined with a lack of offensive weaponry and a fold-up-the-tent mentality from the organization so early in the campaign could all contribute to an ugly and unfair end to what has been a relatively storied career for Flacco.
Browns Better Served Across Board to Switch From Joe Flacco to Dillon Gabriel Sooner Than Week 7
Cleveland Browns
GettyCleveland Browns quarterback Joe Flacco.
He may have designs on playing in 2026, though if that is the case, the way the Browns are handling his tenure this season is doing Flacco no favors.
The losing culture that has been pervasive in Cleveland for essentially three decades is also dangerous to the rest of the roster if it creeps back in early and strongly enough this season, particularly given how many rookies have already assumed prominent roles.
As such, the Browns should consider a transition to Gabriel sooner than Week 7. The Steelers defense has surrendered 31.5 points per game through two weeks and does not appear the traditional powerhouse it has been during most of the Mike Tomlin era.
Going with Gabriel even a game or two sooner might send the right kind of message to the locker room about Cleveland’s intention to actually play competitive football and do everything it can to win while hope still remains for the season — however little there might actually be come Week 6 should the Browns find themselves 0-5, which is entirely possible.