News

As expected Browns head coach Kevin’s Stefanski named Joe Flacco as his starting quarterback for the season opener against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, September 7 in Cleveland.

The 40-year-old veteran beat out Kenny Pickett and rookie draft picks Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders for the starting job.

Flacco will also start in Saturday’s preseason finale at home against the Rams this Saturday.

The 17 year veteran helped the Browns reach the playoffs in 2023 after being picked up during the season and going (4-1) as a starter

For his efforts that year, Flacco was named the NFL comeback player of the year.

(official Browns release) 8-18-2

Joe Flacco named starting quarterback

Browns will kick off the 2025 season in Week 1 against the Bengals

By Kelsey Russo, ClevelandBrowns.com Staff Writer

BEREA, Ohio — The training camp quarterback competition officially has a resolution, as the Browns have announced their starting quarterback.

Joe Flacco will start at quarterback when the Browns open the regular season at home against the Bengals on Sept. 7.

Flacco has used the offseason, training camp and preseason to his advantage in order to set himself up for success. He approached training camp like he has in year’s past, focused on his daily work in practice. When he was out on the field taking reps – whether in a 7-on-7 or 11-on-11 drill – he narrowed in on being the best version of himself.

Over the course of training camp and through the preseason, Flacco took reps with the first group that consisted of starters and veteran players. As they continued into joint practices with the Panthers and Eagles, Flacco took the first set of reps and faced starters and veterans of two opposing defenses. Flacco did not play in the first two preseason games, but as the Browns use the final week of the preseason as a dress rehearsal for the regular season, head coach Kevin Stefanski planned to name a starting quarterback for the team to prepare for Week 1.

“The last couple of weeks, honestly, it’s been pretty good for me,” Flacco said on Aug. 13. “I’ve gotten to get more reps and get comfortable and feel like I’m doing things at a pretty high level.”

Flacco is entering his 18^th NFL season and brings a level of veteran leadership necessary to kick off the 2025 season. He’s also been at the helm of Browns’ offense before, dating back to 2023 when he started five consecutive games beginning in Week 13. During that stretch, the Browns went 4-1 with Flacco at quarterback. His tenure was highlighted by the Week 17 win over the Jets on Thursday Night Football that officially clinched their playoff berth – their first playoff appearance since 2020.

During the 2025 offseason as the Browns revamped their quarterback room, they signed Flacco in April 2025 to add his veteran experience, skillset and familiarity to the position room. Stefanski has highlighted Flacco’s style of play as a pocket passer who can make every throw from the pocket as his calling card. They value his experiences of playing on different teams, being in different locker rooms and winning a Super Bowl as invaluable knowledge that he provides to his teammates.

“Joe’s the same guy that he was then,” Stefanski said on Aug.13. “He’s the same guy every single day. I think that’s one of the things you admire about Joe is how he approaches his business. He’s done a really nice job in camp. He’s also done a really nice job just providing leadership to the quarterback room, to the offense and to the football team.”