Joe Flacco owns a significant part of Cleveland Browns history after just six games in 2023.
That small effort was enough to win the NFL Comeback Player of the Year award and become a team legend. It wasn’t just that he won a lot of matches, but also how he won them.
Flacco introduced the vertical passing attack that Browns fans have dreamed of over the years. But if fans want to see Flacco back in orange and maroon, ESPN Cleveland’s Tony Grossi thinks they’ll be disappointed (via ESPN Cleveland on Twitter).
Grossi told ESPN Cleveland’s “The Land on Demand” team that he thinks Flacco will find a better job. Plus, he thinks Browns executives will breathe a sigh of relief if it happens. The longtime Browns insider believes a team will offer Cleveland’s 2023 savior a bigger role.
Grossi expects that after eight head coaching changes, someone will push for Flacco to be the bridge quarterback. Carrying a clipboard for the Deshaun Watson-led offense will appeal less to Flacco than a starting opportunity.
That doesn’t always work, as Jacoby Brissett learned last season in Washington. Fans might predict Watson will miss a few games in 2024, but that doesn’t fit his story.Prior to the 2023 season, Watson had never missed an NFL game due to injury.
Thanks to strong fan support, Grossi also believes that Kevin Stefanski and others are not interested in Flacco as a replacement.
He wonders how many poor performances it would take for a quarterback controversy to arise. Flacco will become an unrestricted free agent in March.
