Joe Flacco Named Browns' QB1 Over Shedeur Sanders, Dillon Gabriel, Kenny Pickett

Joe Flacco will be the Cleveland Browns' starting quarterback to begin the 2025 campaign.

Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski named Flacco the starter for the team's Week 1 matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals over Kenny Pickett, Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders.

The team later released its unofficial depth chart for the week, with Flacco as QB1, followed in order by Pickett, Gabriel and Sanders. Tyler Huntley is the fifth-string quarterback.

This comes as Sanders has dealt with shoulder and oblique injuries. Pickett, meanwhile, has dealt with a hamstring injury. Gabriel has also dealt with a hamstring issue, though he played in the team's second preseason game last week.

Flacco, an 18-year veteran who won a Super Bowl and Super Bowl MVP with the Baltimore Ravens, is entering his second stint with the Browns this season.

After stops with the Denver Broncos, New York Jets and Philadelphia Eagles following his departure from Baltimore, Flacco joined Cleveland's practice squad in 2023 and later earned the starting job following Deshaun Watson's season-ending injury.

While expectations weren't that high for Flacco when he took over under center, he performed well, throwing for 1,616 yards and 13 touchdowns in five games, leading the team to a 4-1 record, which was enough to make the playoffs. He was named the NFL's Comeback Player of the Year for his efforts.

After his strong end to the 2023 campaign, he signed a one-year deal with the Indianapolis Colts to back up Anthony Richardson. He appeared in eight games with the Colts, throwing for 1,761 yards, 12 touchdowns and seven interceptions.

Amid uncertainty in the quarterback room heading into the 2025 offseason, the Browns brought Flacco back on a one-year deal in April.

While Flacco didn't have too much competition for the starting job when he signed, Cleveland ended up drafting both Gabriel and Sanders, setting up a four-way race for QB1.

Despite competing in a quarterback room full of young, eager players, the 40-year-old Flacco quickly emerged as the frontrunner for the starting job during training camp. The Athletic's Zac Jackson reported in early August that Flacco had become the "strong favorite" to be named QB1 over Sanders, Pickett and Gabriel.

Though he was named the starter for Week 1, Flacco can't get too comfortable just yet, as the three players behind him will be ready to step up the moment they are called upon.