The Cleveland Browns may have acted too soon in parting ways with Joe Flacco.
When he was under center in Cleveland, Flacco looked sluggish and out of rhythm, struggling to move in the pocket or make consistent throws.
Now, with the Cincinnati Bengals, he has rediscovered his form, picking apart defenses and reminding everyone that he still has something left in the tank.
With that in mind, Browns legend Hanford Dixon called out the organization for giving up on the 40-year-old, especially after watching Dillon Gabriel take over as the starter.
“It was a mistake to move on from [Joe Flacco]. Let me tell you why. I think Flacco still could do it. I don’t know whether it’s the system that he’s running, the people, but it has nothing to do with Flacco, because Flacco was trying to go downfield. Flacco was trying to throw that football,” Dixon said.
Was it a mistake to move on from Joe Flacco? #DawgPound@HanfordDixon29 & @JoshCribbs16 are at odds on whether or not trading Joe made this football team better.
Presented by @FanDuel https://t.co/tEWf3y4zgK pic.twitter.com/bxQuwpOeB5
— The Top Dawgs Show (@TopDawgShow) October 29, 2025
In hindsight, the trade is making Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski look terrible.
Of course, few people believed Flacco had anything left in the tank after watching him struggle in the first month of the season.
The Bengals have much better wide receivers than the Browns do, but they might have a worse offensive line, yet Flacco is putting up big numbers.
Perhaps Stefanski’s plea to avoid turnovers kept Flacco on a short leash, leading him to play uncomfortably and not do what he does best.
Whatever the case, even though Jerry Jeudy and the pass catchers didn’t do Flacco any favors and were responsible for some of his interceptions, his current performance is an indictment of what’s going on in Cleveland.
As such, it’s almost impossible to trust this coaching staff and front office to find and develop a potential franchise quarterback.
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