CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Cleveland Browns’ quarterback competition may officially be open, but veteran Joe Flacco appears to have a significant early advantage that goes beyond his Super Bowl pedigree. As Kevin Stefanski reinstalls his original offensive philosophy, Flacco’s previous mastery of the system and immediate chemistry with the receiving corps is creating a substantial head start over competitors like Kenny Pickett.
“I must say, though, when you talk about a return to the Kevin Stefanski offense, that screams Joe Flacco to me,” Mary Kay Cabot explained on the Orange and Brown Talk podcast. “I think he’s going to look amazing in camp. I think he’s going to look amazing in these practices. But he just took to that offensive scheme like a duck to water.”
This natural fit was evident even when Flacco joined the Browns mid-season in 2023 with minimal preparation. “He came off the couch and ran it to perfection,” Dan Labbe added, highlighting Flacco’s remarkable ability to assimilate complex offensive concepts without the benefit of training camp or extensive practice time.
While Kenny Pickett may currently be positioned as the frontrunner in the competition, multiple factors suggest Flacco’s experience and arm talent create a formidable challenge for the younger quarterback. Pickett himself acknowledged the learning curve involved in mastering a new system.
“Kenny Pickett said something else in his interview that I thought was very interesting. He said that it takes two years to really get to know a system,” Cabot noted. “Now, in the case of Joe, it did not. Joe’s been around. He’s seen everything. I mean, he just assimilates things so very quickly.”
This experience gap becomes particularly significant when combined with Flacco’s natural throwing ability. The veteran’s arm strength and deep ball accuracy were immediately apparent during recent practices, especially when connecting with new Browns receiver Jerry Jeudy.
“Watching Joe Flacco and Jerry Jeudy last week was bringing back memories of the Flacco to (Amari) Cooper Express from two years ago,” Ashley Bastock observed. “I had people messaging me about videos of the one throw, that throw he made to Jerry down the left sideline and being like, it’s so good to see them back together. And I’m like, well, you may think they were together because it looks just like Joe to Amari Cooper, but they have actually never played together.”
This instant chemistry has already created buzz among players as well. Jeudy’s reaction to Flacco’s passes echoed Cooper’s famous description of Flacco’s throws as “poetry in motion.”
“Jerry Jeudy cut off the question and he’s like, I know exactly what that means now. Like, he was so excited to talk about Joe Flacco, and it did look really seamless,” Bastock explained.
Beyond scheme fit and receiving chemistry, there’s a practical competitive advantage to consider. Cleveland faces a challenging early-season schedule, and Flacco’s ability to deliver explosive plays could be crucial in tight games against tough opponents.
“We’ve talked about that schedule. What gives you the best chance to beat some of those teams? A guy at quarterback who can hit those two throws to Jerry Jeudy downfield,” Labbe suggested. “Maybe everything else stinks. And like, maybe you’re struggling and you’re grinding it out against these really good teams, but Joe Flacco hits two deep balls to Jerry Jeudy and you win a game 21-18 or something like that, like that’s how you steal a football game.”
While the competition remains open and training camp will ultimately determine the starter, Flacco’s seamless fit within Stefanski’s returning offensive scheme, proven ability to quickly assimilate playbooks, and undeniable arm talent provide advantages that will be difficult for competitors to overcome – especially as the Browns seek to reestablish their offensive identity.
