The Cleveland Browns have had one of the more interesting offseasons in recent NFL history. After the Deshaun Watson gamble failed to pay off, they decided to try anything and everything at the quarterback position, signing veteran Joe Flacco to a one-year deal, trading for former first-round pick Kenny Pickett, and drafting Oregon's Dillon Gabriel and Colorado's Shedeur Sanders in the 2025 NFL Draft.
After the early stages of training camp and two preseason games, they had seen enough. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport [reports](https://x.com/RapSheet/status/1957487663382212691) that Cleveland has decided to name Flacco the Week 1 starter, with just a little under a month until the start of the regular season.
The move probably doesn't come as a shock to most fans, as Flacco saw success in head coach Kevin Stefanski's offensive system when he signed mid-season in 2023. He also remains one of the only currently healthy quarterbacks on the Browns' roster.
What Does Flacco Provide the Browns That Gabriel Doesn’t?
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While Browns fans certainly have some level of respect for Flacco thanks to his magical regular-season run two years ago, there's little to no upside at the prospect of a 40-year-old quarterback, especially with what little expectations Cleveland has this upcoming season.
If the Browns falter or get off to a slow start, expect Gabriel or Sanders to step in and get a shot to showcase their skill sets. Cleveland needs to know what they have in their rookie signal-callers, because they could be looking to take another stab at quarterback in the 2026 NFL Draft if they're picking high enough.
Both first-year players had a chance to show what they're made of so far in preseason. Sanders was handed the reins in the first game and stoked excitement with a tantalizing 14/23 passing performance, with 138 yards and two touchdowns against the Carolina Panthers.
Gabriel was given a shot the following week against the Philadelphia Eagles, where things got off to a rocky start with an interception and taking a few sacks, but the Oregon product was able to pull things together quickly and ended up with a solid outing, going 13/18 for 143 yards.
While the floor is higher with Flacco at quarterback, the ceiling is unknown with the rookies in Cleveland, and that prospect is far more enticing than watching the 18th overall pick in the 2008 NFL Draft.
With the Browns in one of the toughest divisions in the NFL, Cleveland has decided to roll with Flacco to at least start the season. If things start to go awry after the first month of play, there's reason to believe they could turn to a youngster with more upside, such as Gabriel, to see if he can provide a spark.