Joe Flacco didn’t forecast Wednesday’s quarterback shakeup in Cleveland.
Speaking to the media after learning the Browns’ decision to bench him for rookie Dillon Gabriel after a 1-3 start, the 40-year-old veteran shared, “I don’t think I foresaw it.”
“Listen, I think I said it on Sunday, anytime you’re in this league, everybody’s always getting evaluated. The job of the quarterback is to help your team win football games. So, I don’t know if I foresaw it coming, but listen, me and [head coach] Kevin [Stefanski] can have a good conversation. It’s not like anything that was super long or drawn out like that. But, got to the point, had a good conversation about it, and it is what it is,” Flacco said, according to Pro Football Talk.
Flacco, on his second turn in Cleveland after leading the team to a playoff berth in 2023, threw for two touchdowns and six interceptions in four games while completing 58.1 percent of his passes this season.
He’ll serve as the second quarterback on the depth chart behind Gabriel, the Brown’s third-round selection in the 2025 NFL Draft, while fellow rookie Shedeur Sanders remains QB3.
“I think the best way to help him is continue to come to work with a good mindset every day and provide that positive energy and see what he needs on his end,” Flacco said. “Listen, he’s into it, man. He’s ready to go. I’m sure he’s super excited about this opportunity. You can tell he takes it seriously just by the way he studies and his intent in the meeting rooms and on the practice field.”