NFL Exec Questions Joe Flacco's Ability to Throw the Ball Now amid Browns Rumors

At least one NFL executive seriously questions whether Joe Flacco can provide any help for the Cleveland Browns as they work around Deshaun Watson's season-ending shoulder injury.

ESPN's Adam Schefter and Field Yates reported Sunday the Browns are signing Flacco to the practice squad, with the expectation he'll eventually get added to the active roster.

The Athletic's Mike Sando entertained a comparison between the present version of Flacco and Peyton Manning in 2015. By that point, Manning was a shell of himself and had his worst ever season. That didn't stop the Denver Broncos, anchored by an elite defense, from winning a Super Bowl. Perhaps the Browns could utilize a similar formula as they attempt to make a deep playoff run.

"Peyton was just such a commanding presence who could still run the play clock down, still get the defense to jump, still carry a ton of swag," the NFL executive countered to Sando. "They compare in mobility. They do not compare in command of the game, leadership, that stuff. And I'm not even sure how well Joe can throw the ball at this point."

Flacco made five appearances for the New York Jets in 2022. He threw for 1,051 yards, five touchdowns and three interceptions, and he set a personal low in QBR (36.1), per Pro Football Reference.

The NFL exec won't be the only person skeptical about how much the 38-year-old has left in the tank.

There's no guarantee Flacco actually sees the field in Cleveland, though.

Dorian Thompson-Robinson went 24-of-43 for 165 yards and an interception in Sunday's 13-10 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. Most importantly, he engineered the eight-play drive that set up Dustin Hopkins' game-sealing 34-yard field goal.

Maybe the 2023 fifth-round draft pick ultimately isn't much better than PJ Walker, who he leapfrogged in the depth chart. But it's too early to render a judgment one way or the other. At the very least, Thompson-Robinson earned a few more starts and could continue to improve as he gains additional experience.

To the executive's point, the state of Flacco's arm could be immaterial to Cleveland's fortunes the rest of the way.