QB Joe Flacco taking his role “day-by-day” with the Browns as he adjusts to his new team

Joe Flacco had never participated in an official team exercise during his 16 NFL seasons, not since he was a Delaware college grad getting ready for the 2008 NFL Draft.

Following his conversation with his agent regarding a possible workout with the Browns last week, Flacco expressed his excitement at the prospect of visiting Cleveland and going through the procedure.

Flacco remarked, “I have to tell you, you want to go impress.” As with anything, you experience some level of emotion when working out, as I’m sure everyone does. However, it was cool and a terrific exercise.

Gary Kubiak called Flacco prior to his arrival in Cleveland and complimented the Browns and their staff. Flacco was in his seventh season with the Ravens in 2014 when Kubiak took over as offensive coordinator.

“I believe what Gary says,” Flacco remarked. “I barely spent a year with him, but he was a very sincere man. He had a lot of insightful things to say about it, so what he says is valid. Thus far, I have observed that.

His exercise in Cleveland and his chat with Kubiak had an impact, as on Nov. 20, Flacco was formally added to the Browns practice squad. Ever since, he has been rapidly acclimating himself to the Browns team and mastering their offense. On Wednesday at practice, he made his debut with the Browns by taking reps behind rookie quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson and wide receiver P.J. Walker while showcasing his throwing arm.

The Browns intended to add a third quarterback to their roster in order to carry three quarterbacks between the active roster and practice squad after quarterback Deshaun Watson suffered a season-ending injury. Flacco not only gives the quarterback room more depth, but his expertise can also aid Thompson-Robinson in adjusting to his debut campaign.

Flacco has appeared in 183 games with 180 starts in his 16 seasons in the NFL. He’s played with the Ravens from 2008-18, the Broncos in 2019 and the Jets from 2020-22. He has completed 3,881 of 6,299 career passes for 61.6 percent, with 232 touchdowns and 147 interceptions. He also has Super Bowl experience, as Flacco led the Ravens to a victory in Super Bowl XLVII and was named Super Bowl MVP. His wealth of knowledge in the league is something not only Thompson-Robinson can benefit from, but also the coaching staff and other players.

“Joe’s done a great job. He and I have a lot of mutual people in this business that we know,” HC Kevin Stefanski said. “I have not worked with Joe previously, but he has been in a lot of systems. So, somebody that I can talk to about different systems, different coaches, things he’s called, things in the past. So, a wealth of knowledge and a great resource for not just the quarterback room but this entire team.”

Flacco was a starter for the Jets in four games during his final season with the team in 2022. Flacco managed to maintain his physical fitness even while he was not with an NFL team. At this point in his profession, working out is a daily habit for him, but he also finds ways to throw. Even when he wasn’t tossing fast targets, he would toss his sons a tiny football in the front yard.

Furthermore, Flacco believes he can still play and benefit a team. He still has a strong desire to play football.

Flacco remarked, “To a certain extent, that’s all I know.” “I still enjoy doing it a lot. I do believe that I have some energy left, therefore I owe it to myself to keep going and attempt to play the game that I love until I no longer feel that I can.”

Stefanski stated on Monday that Flacco’s first responsibility as he gets used to the Browns is to assist the team. Thompson-Robinson will start as quarterback against the Ravens in Week 12, Stefanski said on Monday.

For now, Flacco is adopting the same strategy.

I’m a seasoned player who has spent a lot of time with a successful team this season,” Flacco remarked. Thus, I believe I have a wide range of unique contributions to make. To be honest, though, all I want to do is go day to day and concentrate on what I can. And at the moment, that consists primarily of picking up the offense and assimilating into the group.”