Reunion Between Browns, Fan-Favorite Playoff QB ‘In Play’

The Cleveland Browns have already made one meaningful move at the quarterback position this offseason by trading with the Philadelphia Eagles for Kenny Pickett — but at least one, and potentially two more plays are on the way.

Cleveland also owns the No. 2 pick in the upcoming NFL draft, and most prominent national analysts expect the Browns to either go with a QB in that spot or strongly consider doing so, as just two signal callers in this class have first-round grades: Cam Ward of Miami and Shedeur Sanders of Colorado.

The Browns are also potentially in play for Russell Wilson and Kirk Cousins if they are willing to pay for or trade for those talents, respectively. Both of those options are relatively pricey, however, and Cleveland still has two more years of Deshaun Watson and his $230 million contract to navigate.

As such, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk on Saturday, March 15, connected the Browns to a possible reunion with Joe Flacco who played for the team in 2023.

“Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson are getting the headlines. Joe Flacco is waiting patiently to see how it plays out. Flacco recently visited the Giants. He’s in play, we’re told, for jobs with the Steelers, Browns, and Vikings,” Florio wrote. “Flacco is now 40, but he can still throw it. And since he was never a mobile quarterback, the aging of the legs (which always go before the arm) has been a non-issue. He has shown that he loves football. He fully intends to take a job this season, somewhere. And he likely won’t be expensive; he made $4.5 million last year.”

Joe Flacco Had Short, Magical Run With Browns in 2023

Flacco is the most recent signal caller to lead Cleveland to the playoffs after he took over the reins of the offense down the stretch two seasons ago.

Flacco went 4-1 as the Browns starter in the regular season, throwing for 1,616 yards, 13 TDs and 8 INTs. The veteran also played his way into the heart of the city and its fans, who found a player in Flacco behind whom they were able to rally amid on- and off-field issues for Watson.

Cleveland earned a trip to the postseason as the AFC’s top wildcard seed, but fell in blowout fashion on the road to the Houston Texans in the first round. The Browns chose not to bring Flacco back, as the team remained committed to the oft-injured Watson heading into his third year with the franchise.

However, Watson appears as though he may have played his last down in orange and brown, as he battles a twice-torn Achilles tendon that could keep him out for much, if not all, of the 2025 campaign.

Several QBs Remain in Play for Browns This Offseason

Pickett told media members after his trade to Cleveland that he still considers himself an NFL starter, and that the franchise told him he will compete for the No. 1 job this year.

Ward is almost universally the top QB prospect in the 2025 draft, per players grades from evaluators. As such, the Browns are perhaps more likely to select him should he fall to No. 2.

However, if the Tennessee Titans select Ward first overall, or trade the pick to a team that does, it is unclear whether Cleveland will pull the trigger on Sanders that early in the proceedings.

Browns star defensive end Myles Garrett has recruited Wilson in recent days, while Cousins has long been an option in 2025.

Cleveland landing Cousins became less likely after the Atlanta Falcons decided on Saturday to keep him rostered this offseason, despite the cost of a $10 million bonus this month. However, the Browns could still trade for Cousins, though the price may be too prohibitive at this point to make that a realistic possibility.