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Just the Flacco, ma'am

Browns reunite with productive old quarterback

There are a lot of memes going around making fun of the Browns' quarterback room. A couple of mid-round rookies, a former first-round bust, and Deshaun Watson (who won't be playing this year). But let's not underestimate Old Man Joe Flacco.

Yes, he's 40 years old. He's played with three teams the last three seasons. He obviously isn't the answer for the Browns past this year, and they'll be desperately hoping one of their youngsters steps up and looks like a candidate to start for them in 2026.

But in 2025, it should be Flacco. And that might be OK. Browns receivers like Jerry Jeudy, Cedric Tillman and David Njoku might be just fine.

Flacco as a journeyman backup the last four years has started 16 games -- almost exactly a season's worth of football. Add his numbers in those years together and stack them up against all of last season's quarterbacks, and he would have been a top-10 player at the position. Seriously!

2024's QUARTERBACKS, PLUS JOE FLACCO ('21-'24)
PlayerGSPassTDIntRunTDPtsRk
Lamar Jackson1741724149154490.11
Joe Burrow1749184392012450.02
Baker Mayfield17450041163783446.83
Josh Allen17373128653112432.44
Jayden Daniels1735682598916409.55
Jared Goff1746293712560394.86
Sam Darnold17431935122121383.27
Bo Nix17377529124304379.08
Kyler Murray17385121115725374.09
Joe Flacco '21-241647663318370374.010
Jalen Hurts15290318563014364.211
Patrick Mahomes16392826113072344.312
Geno Smith17432021152722339.213
Brock Purdy15386420123235335.514
Justin Herbert1738702333062334.115
Aaron Rodgers17389728111070321.616
Caleb Williams1735412064890312.017
Jordan Love1533892511831289.818
C.J. Stroud17372720122330289.719
Matthew Stafford163762208410272.220

Now Flacco's not going to throw for 4,766 yards this season, as he has across those four years worth of starts. Nor will he throw 33 touchdowns. Please do not draft him expecting a top-10 or 12 quarterback. He won't be running, at all, if he knows what's good for him.

But above-average passing numbers are very possible, and that makes Jeudy et al look fine for as long as he's in the lineup. Which given the other options available, might very well be all season.

--Andy Richardson

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