The Cleveland Browns aren’t just starting Joe Flacco at quarterback for the sake of starting the 40-year old veteran at QB.
They’re also doing it for the sake of their entire team evaluation.
The Browns have rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders waiting in the wings, but it’s hard to call on them right now.
NFL analyst Anthony Reinhard explained this in a multi-post thread on X on Monday morning.
MORE: Cowboys are clearly missing Micah Parsons
Essentially, he writes, the Browns have a better view of what to do with some of their other players in the future if they let them play with Flacco now.
Wide receiver Cedric Tillman is one of these, writes Reinhard:
“Cedric Tillman is an example of a player who would be eligible for an extension after this season that you’d really like to get a good feeling for. Will be far more difficult to get him involved if you have a QB that isn’t capable of pushing the ball downfield.”
Left tackle Dawand Jones is another, although he did just get hurt on Sunday.
“Sort of up in the air with Dawand Jones right now, but you really want him pass protecting in a situation where he has a QB who isn’t going to bail too early and can sit back in a traditional dropback game long enough to get a clean rep in,” Reinhard writes.
MORE: Texans might have a C.J. Stroud problem
When you combine that with a difficult early-season schedule, it makes sense that Flacco is starting.
Sure, the Browns will probably make the switch sometime around midseason.
But for now, Cleveland is gaining plenty by leaving Flacco out there.
MORE NFL NEWS:
