It was reported earlier in March that veteran quarterback Joe Flacco was "not on the" Cleveland Browns' radar as Cleveland continues to be linked with veterans who could serve as a bridge option for a rookie quarterback.
For his latest mailbag published on Sunday, Terry Pluto of the Cleveland Plain Dealer expanded on why the Browns seemingly are in no rush to bring Flacco back even though he's a popular figure among many local fans.
"They consider Flacco to be turnover-prone," Pluto wrote. "It’s why they also [had] no interest in Jameis Winston coming back. Flacco has started 11 games in the last two seasons and turned the ball over 20 times. In his time with the Jets in 2022, he committed 27 turnovers in the last 15 games. Fumbles are part of the turnover stats. The Browns and other NFL teams have internal stats showing that rate of turnovers is like spotting the other team 3-6 points per game. In defense of Flacco, he also has thrown 30 TD passes in the last 15 games."
Flacco became a favorite among Browns supporters when he signed with the club as a free agent in November 2023 and then won four of five starts to guide Cleveland to a playoff berth. He earned Associated Press NFL Comeback Player of the Year Award honors for that season but wasn't re-signed in part because some within the Browns were reportedly concerned about how his popularity among fans could impact first-choice starter Deshaun Watson.
Watson may never take another meaningful snap with the Browns after he suffered a torn Achilles in October 2024 and then tore the Achilles again during his recovery. That doesn't change the fact that Flacco largely looked past his prime in back-to-back starts for the Indianapolis Colts this past season. Over those games, the 40-year-old threw four interceptions, lost two fumbles and took seven sacks.
While the Browns probably would start former Pittsburgh Steelers draft bust Kenny Pickett at quarterback if Cleveland had to play a game this coming weekend, the AFC North side may be waiting for the Falcons to either cut Cousins or trade him for a low-value draft pick. Cousins played for Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski when the two were with the Minnesota Vikings, but Atlanta doesn't seem to be in any hurry to set the 36-year-old free even though he's been replaced in that team's lineup by 2024 first-round draft choice Michael Penix Jr.
One would think Flacco, a one-time Super Bowl Most Valuable Player, would be a great mentor for a rookie such as Shedeur Sanders assuming Cleveland makes the Colorado star the second pick of the 2025 draft as many expect. Browns general manager Andrew Berry and Stefanski seemingly don't have a high opinion of Flacco this spring, but one wonders if Cleveland could reach out to the Baltimore Ravens franchise icon if Atlanta holds onto Cousins through the conclusion of the draft on April 26.
