The Cleveland Browns have officially moved on from Joe Flacco.
The decision to bench him seemed to be the right one, but now that they’ve traded him to a division rival, he’s not even going to be there as a mentor for the Browns’ rookie quarterbacks.
When asked about that, Shedeur Sanders had nothing but praise and respect for his veteran colleague and former teammate.
“He was definitely somebody I leaned on for wisdom, and I feel like he helped me a lot. He helped me a lot in my time being here in Cleveland and his time being here in Cleveland. Everybody has their own destinies and have their own plans. I’m just happy for him,” Sanders said.
#Browns back-up QB Shedeur Sanders speaks exclusively to @fox8news @John_Sabol about the trade of Joe Flacco to the #Bengals. pic.twitter.com/PDQF6ihBz1
— P.J. ZIEGLER (@PJFOX8) October 7, 2025
Having Flacco around gave Sanders and Dillon Gabriel someone to lean on and to learn from.
Granted, the 40-year-old wasn’t at his best, or even close to that level this season, but he could’ve helped them prepare for games and practice.
With Flacco now with the Cincinnati Bengals, Sanders is closer to getting a chance to get on the field.
As QB2, he’s now one play away from possibly replacing Gabriel, either because the starter is playing poorly, got injured, or the Browns want to shake things up.
Perhaps Sanders has shown the Browns that he’s moving forward in his development, and that’s why they agreed to trade Flacco just a week after naming Gabriel the starter.
Flacco didn’t play well this season, and going behind the Bengals’ shaky offensive line, the same one that has gotten Joe Burrow injured over and over, might not be best for him.
As for the Browns, they will hope that Gabriel or Sanders emerges as the player they need to take over the offense once and for all.
NEXT: Kevin Stefanski’s Offense Hits New Lows
