Cleveland Browns quarterback Joe Flacco has a lot going for him in the upcoming four-way battle to see who will be the starting quarterback this fall.
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Looking at the numbers Flacco has put up in his career versus the combined work of Kenny Pickett, Dillon Gabriel, and Shedeur Sanders underscores the edge that Flacco holds:
- NFL starts: Flacco 191. The other three combined: 25
- Passing yards: Flacco 45,697. The other three: 4,765
- Passing touchdowns: Flacco 257. The other three: 15
- Super Bowl MVPs: Flacco 1. The other three: 0
- Playoff starts: Flacco 16. The other three: 0
Admittedly, it is not a fair comparison since Gabriel and Sanders are rookies, and Pickett has only been in the league for three seasons. But it still shows just how much experience Flacco brings to the quarterback room after 17 seasons in the NFL.
That experience will prove valuable not only to Flacco but to the other quarterbacks as well during training camp and the preseason, as they will have an up-close look at how an NFL quarterback goes about his business. That knowledge will be key as what happens Monday through Saturday has a direct impact on what happens on Sundays.
Despite some overblown media narratives around the subject, Flacco is more than willing to share what he has learned with his fellow quarterbacks, as he told Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated:
“I want to play football. But also, I want to be a really good teammate, I really do. I enjoy being in that locker room and just being around the guys. I think that’s all a part of it. I’ve talked about how it’s not necessarily my job, but at the same time, I’m also not gonna shy away from doing those things. I’m not worried about teaching guys and having that come back and bite me. Yeah, you got questions and you want answers, Yeah, come ask me, man.”
And if those answers give the competition an edge this summer? Well, a player doesn’t last as long as Flacco has without being confident in their abilities, as Flacco told Breer:
“There’s a lot that’s out of your control at a certain point, but my mindset is, Dude, I’m gonna win this job, go out there and have an awesome season. And go do it again, and again,” he said. “My mindset is still that. I’m looking forward to going out there and proving to myself and my family that I still got it, and I’m gonna do this for a couple more years.”
There is still a long way to go until the Browns take the field for the season opener against the Cincinnati Bengals in September, and a lot can change between now and then.
But given everything Flacco has seen during his career, and the attitude that one of the other guys in the room needs to take the job away from him, may carry him all the way to the offensive huddle that Sunday afternoon against the Bengals.
