The Cleveland Browns are officially rolling with Joe Flacco as their quarterback to start the 2025 NFL season.
This isn’t much of a surprise. If anything, it was the expectation.
Nevertheless, that doesn’t mean it was the right decision, at least according to analyst Ryan Clark.
The former NFL player called out the Browns for not giving their younger QBs a chance.
“I think that’s the wrong move [to start Joe Flacco]. I think you should have looked at one of these rookies to see if you had your franchise quarterback in the building, whether it’s Shedeur Sanders or Dillon Gabriel, who I felt both had good debuts here in the preseason. You know what Joe Flacco is. Don’t make the comfortable, familiar decision. Figure out if one of these young men could be the guy,” Clark said on “Get Up.”
.@Realrclark25 doesn't believe Joe Flacco starting at QB for the Browns was the right move.
"I think you should have looked at one of these rookies to see if you had your franchise quarterback in the building." pic.twitter.com/WtmtvxycNz
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) August 19, 2025
Clark has a valid point.
Everybody knows what Flacco brings to the table, and chances are, he will be worse than he was two seasons ago with the team, not better.
Even if that’s not the case and he somehow dominates, he’s not the long-term answer for the organization.
The Browns have two first-round picks in the 2026 NFL Draft, so they must figure out whether they can go forward with their young quarterbacks or if they’ll have to add another one.
Of course, Flacco gives the Browns the best chance to win right now, and given their tough schedule, it’s hard to envision either of the rookies finding much success early on.
There’s a lot at stake in Cleveland right now, and head coach Kevin Stefanski and general manager Andrew Berry might be thinking about their job security, even if it comes at the expense of what’s best for the organization in the long run.
Whatever the case, the Browns’ quarterback situation will be a talking point all year long.
NEXT: Analyst Proposes Blockbuster Browns, Commanders Trade
