Joe Flacco Named Browns' QB1 for Rest of 2023 NFL Season After Win vs. Jaguars

Joe Flacco is a starter once again.

The veteran quarterback will start for the Cleveland Browns for the remainder of 2023, head coach Kevin Stefanski said Sunday.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported the news.

Flacco led the Browns to a 31-27 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, when he recorded 311 yards for three touchdowns and an interception.

The 38-year-old quarterback signed with the Browns on November 20 after starting quarterback Deshaun Watson suffered a season-ending shoulder injury.

Flacco's next start will come Sunday against the Chicago Bears.

The win over the Jaguars marked Flacco's second straight start after he got the nod December 3 for the Browns' 36-19 Week 13 loss to the Los Angeles Rams. Flacco passed for 254 yards, two scores and an interception in his Browns debut.

"You expect him to get better as he gets more comfortable with our system, with our players, those types of things," Stefanski said about the veteran quarterback after Sunday's win, per The Chronicle-Telegram's Scott Petrak.

Stefanski is choosing to go with Flacco over rookie quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson, who has passed for 429 yards, one touchdown and four interceptions in five appearances—including three starts—this season.

The highlight of Thompson-Robinson's season came when he led the drive toward a last-minute game-winning Week 10 field goal against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Browns also chose Flacco over PJ Walker, who last started during a Week 12 loss against the Denver Broncos. Cleveland waived Walker Saturday in order to elevate Flacco to the active roster.

The Browns improved to 8-5 on the season with their win over the Jaguars, enough for the New York Times' The Upshot to give the team an 87 percent chance of making the playoffs.

Cleveland's playoff spot is far from guaranteed, however. The Browns are one of eight teams in the AFC playoff hunt with either seven or eight wins.

Flacco's Week 15 performance against the Bears will be key to helping secure the team's ticket to its second postseason appearance in 21 seasons, and its first since 2020.