Latest news with #Flacco
Newsweek
2 days ago
- Sport
- Newsweek
Former Joe Flacco Teammate Blasts Browns Veteran Over QB Situation
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. As the Cleveland Browns get ready for the start of the NFL season, one of the biggest question marks comes from the quarterback position. Cleveland has multiple guys vying for the starting job, with veterans Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett leading the way. More NFL news: Cowboys' Dak Prescott Makes Big Announcement Ahead of NFL Season Rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders will also look to make an impact. Some have wondered if Flacco would be a mentor to the rookies due to his experience in the league. However, Flacco recently came under some hot water for comments about mentoring the younger guys in the quarterback room. "It's a good question to bait somebody into answering, and no matter how they answer it, it kind of makes the guy that's answering it look bad," Flacco said. "If I say, 'I don't want to be a mentor,' I look bad. If I say, 'I do want to be a mentor,' then I look like an idiot that doesn't care about being good and playing football." In response to this mindset from the veteran signal-caller, a former teammate of Flacco, Chris Canty, blasted the quarterback. Canty called out Flacco for being a bad teammate. "Mentoring a young player is only going to make that player better, which makes the team better," Canty said Friday on ESPN's "Unsportsmanlike." "You're only as strong as your weakest link. The whole point of the exercise is that everybody makes everyone better. That's why you practice. You're making each other better. It's what you're supposed to do. You do that with the reps on the practice field, but you also do that by sharing points and notes in the film room. "It's a ridiculous answer from Joe Flacco," Canty continued. "There's no guarantee Joe Flacco is going to be healthy for 17 games, especially at 40 years old." Joe Flacco #15 of the Cleveland Browns drops back to pass against the Houston Texans during the first half at NRG Stadium on December 24, 2023 in Houston, Texas. The Browns can clinch a playoff... Joe Flacco #15 of the Cleveland Browns drops back to pass against the Houston Texans during the first half at NRG Stadium on December 24, 2023 in Houston, Texas. The Browns can clinch a playoff spot in Week 17. More/Getty Images Flacco will try to become the starter for Cleveland, but there is no guarantee for anything. Many believe that Pickett has the inside track to landing the starting job, which would put Flacco as the backup. More NFL news: Browns QB Shedeur Sanders Facing Brutal Reality to Start Rookie Season Last year with the Colts, Flacco appeared in eight games, throwing for 1,761 yards with 12 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Flacco has shown his worth over the years, but Pickett may be better for the Browns to see if he could be the future of the team. Cleveland is coming off a very poor year that saw them end the season with a record of 3-14. The Browns will look to get back to the postseason, but it seems that drama is already brewing within the quarterback room. More NFL news: Bills Urged to Pursue Major Move for Three-Time Pro Bowl Defender Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes Drops Major Hint at Travis Kelce's Playing Future For more Cleveland Browns and NFL news, head on over to Newsweek Sports.
USA Today
3 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Browns QB Joe Flacco gives perfect response when asked about mentoring young QBs
Browns QB Joe Flacco gives perfect response when asked about mentoring young QBs Cleveland Browns veteran quarterback Joe Flacco is the elder statesman of the quarterback room. However, Flacco does not see it as his role to be a mentor to the rookies, Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders. He has been steadfast about this and even took the same stance toward Anthony Richardson when he was with the Indianapolis Colts a year ago. But he hits a home run with his reasoning as to why he prefers to go about his business and put in the work: 'If I say, 'I don't want to be a mentor,' I look bad. If I say, 'I do want to be a mentor,' then I look like an idiot who doesn't care about being good and playing football. I tend to try to be honest, and I've said, 'I'm not a mentor. I play football.' This does not mean that Flacco is not down to give guidance to the young quarterbacks, but ultimately, Flacco is leaving the rest up to the likes of Gabriel and Sanders. As Flacco prepares to win a starting job or game plan for an opponent on a week-to-week basis, he wants the way he works to be the example set for younger quarterbacks. These OTAs are a great start for those rookies to fall in line behind the seasoned veteran and Super Bowl MVP. 'The best way to be a mentor, honestly, is to show people how you go to work. Like I said, hope they pick up on that stuff, but not necessarily force them to pick up on the things that you do.' Questions arise in meeting rooms, and things happen on the practice and game field. As Flacco looks to compete and win games, the young quarterbacks need to intuitively pick up and follow what the 40-year-old veteran does, rather than expecting him to walk them through how to be a professional.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Sport
- Time of India
With the NFL's deepest QB room, is it wise for the Browns to target another experienced quarterback in a trade?
Cleveland Browns QB situation (Credit: @_dillongabriel_/X) The Cleveland Browns find themselves in a familiar position — once again surrounded by quarterback uncertainty. With Deshaun Watson's Achilles rupture sidelining him for the remainder of the 2024 NFL season and a reinjury during rehab in January casting doubt over his availability for 2025, the team had been bracing for a future without its high-profile quarterback. But recent developments have reopened a sliver of hope. Should the Browns risk their QB chemistry to trade for a more consistent and experienced playmaker? In May, it was reported that the Browns had not ruled out the possibility of Watson returning at some point during the 2025 season. While that update stirred optimism among fans, the reality remains murky. Watson's clearance to play is far from certain, and the Browns may not even be counting on him to reclaim his role. In fact, Cleveland has made significant offseason moves suggesting they're prepared to move forward without him — at least for now. The team loaded up its quarterback room, adding veterans Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett alongside rookie hopefuls Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders. That quartet is set to compete fiercely in training camp, with hopes pinned especially on the younger talents to emerge as future starters. The veterans, while experienced, carry question marks — Flacco's prime is long behind him, and Pickett's inconsistency in Pittsburgh hardly inspired confidence. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like You will never turn off your computer again. Undo BROWNS QB BATTLE HEATS UP AS TEAM OTA PRACTICES UNDERWAY - The Daily Grossi If the Browns are banking on Watson making a miracle comeback to save their season, it likely means things have gone south early. That's why outside voices are urging the front office to consider a more aggressive move. The Draft Network's Justin Melo made waves with a bold suggestion: Cleveland should pursue Kirk Cousins. As Melo put it, "Cleveland's ceiling would be significantly higher with Cousins at quarterback. The Browns possess a stellar roster, and it's easy to envision the four-time Pro Bowler keeping them in postseason contention. We're not convinced Flacco or Pickett could achieve the same. Adding Cousins would allow Gabriel and Sanders to develop slowly behind the scenes. " Despite a turbulent 2024 season with the Falcons — where Cousins threw 18 touchdowns but also a league-high 16 interceptions — the veteran remains a more reliable hand than Flacco or Pickett. His recent absence from Atlanta's OTAs adds fuel to the trade rumors, signaling that he may already be eyeing a change of scenery. That could lower his trade value and make him an appealing option for Cleveland — assuming the Browns are willing to part ways with one of their current quarterbacks. As training camp looms, the Browns are running out of time to solidify their QB plan. Whether it's betting on youth, counting on a Watson resurgence, or making a move for Cousins, Cleveland's 2025 campaign may ultimately be defined by how they handle this high-stakes quarterback dilemma. Also Read: The Kansas City Chiefs' jersey number no one dares to wear — and the heartbreaking reason why
San Francisco Chronicle
4 days ago
- Sport
- San Francisco Chronicle
Pickett: Browns' QB competition not contentious
BEREA, Ohio (AP) — Kenny Pickett realizes that almost all the offseason attention devoted to the Cleveland Browns is on the quarterback competition. Pickett wants to make one thing abundantly clear, though — even though it is a competition, things haven't gotten heated inside the quarterback room. 'I think the outside world makes it a lot bigger than it is. Of course, we're all competing, but you become friends with everybody,' Pickett said on Wednesday after the Browns completed their second day of organized team activities. 'I think it's a great media headline, but when you get in the building in a quarterback room and at least all the ones I've been in, you really become friends with these guys, and we're just pushing each other.' Pickett and Joe Flacco got the majority of the snaps with the veterans. Third-round pick Dillon Gabriel got one series of 11-on-11 drills on the main field, while fifth-round selection Shedeur Sanders had none. Gabriel and Sanders got most of their work with the other rookies on the adjacent field. Even though he is 40 years old, Flacco is the slight favorite to be under center when the Browns host the Cincinnati Bengals on Sept. 7 in the season opener. 'It's funny, it's like every time I go out here in the offseason, I've done it a million times, but it's like there's a little piece of you that's like, 'all right, let's see if I still know how to read it and let it go and do all those things.' So it's good to get back out there and start doing it again,' said Flacco, the AP Comeback Player of the Year in 2023, after he went 4-1 as a starter and led the Browns to the playoffs for only the third time since their return in 1999. Even though Flacco said this is the first quarterback competition of this magnitude he has experienced since being a sophomore in high school in Audubon, New Jersey, he isn't focused too much on it at this stage of the offseason. 'I'm just going out there and doing what I do, and everything else is kind of out of my control. So all I can do is go out there and play football and that's what I'm doing,' Flacco said. The Browns acquired Pickett in a trade with Philadelphia when the league year opened in March. Pickett started one game last season for the Super Bowl champion Eagles while backing up Jalen Hurts. He was 14-10 as a starter in two years with Pittsburgh after being the Steelers first-round pick in 2022. Pickett admitted that there are more similarities between the Eagles' and Browns' offenses than most people realize. The biggest thing he has focused on is getting up to speed with the terminology. 'I think it has gone well. They're doing a great job of getting everyone reps to get experience with the offense and get a feel for everybody,' he said. Pickett and Flacco both have developed a good rapport with Jerry Jeudy. The sixth-year wide receiver had one of the day's best catches on a deep route from Flacco on one of the first plays during 11-on-11 drills. 'It's been good. I don't think there were many dropped balls,' Jeudy said. 'So quarterbacks were putting balls right on the money and receivers were making plays. We're going to keep doing that.' Gabriel had a pass tipped at the line of scrimmage and picked off by first-round pick Mason Graham. Both Gabriel and Sanders fared well in 7-on-7 drills against rookies. Coach Kevin Stefanski said all of the rookies' snaps remain valuable, whether they are on or off the field. 'They're being graded on every play. And there's a variety of things that they're being graded on, but for the quarterback, decision-making, technique, accuracy, those type of things,' he said. 'We love the opportunity being out here on the practice field and have two drills where we can maximize all the time that we're out here.' Garrett's absence There were two notable absences at Wednesday's voluntary practice. Defensive end Myles Garrett is in Japan and accompanied Olympic snowboard gold medalist Chloe Kim at the Crunchyroll Anime Awards. Stefanski said he didn't know if Garrett would be back with the team before the mandatory minicamp begins on June 10. Wide receiver Diontae Johnson, who signed with the team on May 5, might be the bigger no-show since the Browns are his fourth team in less than a year. 'I'm worried about day to day, but let me reiterate, this is a voluntary program across the NFL guys,″ Stefanski said. 'That's their right, whether they're here or not. The guys that are here, we coach 'em up. The guys that aren't here, that is totally their decision to make.' ___
USA Today
4 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Joe Flacco praises Shedeur Sanders, but says being mentor 'not the main focus'
Joe Flacco praises Shedeur Sanders, but says being mentor 'not the main focus' Show Caption Hide Caption Shedeur Sanders not feeling pressure from his doubters After sliding in the NFL Draft, Shedeur Sanders explains why he's not bothered by his many doubters as Browns career begins. Sports Pulse Joe Flacco made it clear Wednesday he wants to be known as more than a potential mentor to the Cleveland Browns' young quarterback room. Flacco, entering his 18th NFL season, said he doesn't have any fundamental issues aiding 26-year-old Kenny Pickett, 24-year-old Dillon Gabriel and 23-year-old Shedeur Sanders as the young trio gets acclimated in Cleveland. The 40-year-old simply wants to focus on playing at as high a level as possible after signing a one-year, $4 million deal with the Browns. "It's not really about that. It's just not the main focus," Flacco said at the second day of Cleveland's OTAs Wednesday when asked about being a mentor. "I see myself as a guy that can play in this league. So, if your main focus was just like, 'hey, but I'm going to get you ready,' you're just not taking care of business." How does Flacco envision his potential role as a mentor? He sees himself as more of a lead-by-example type who will benefit from being on the field. "The best way to be a mentor, honestly, is to show people how you go to work and like I said, hope that they pick up on that stuff, but not necessarily force them to pick up on the things that you do," Flacco said. 'ANOTHER LIE': Shedeur Sanders disputes custom Rolls-Royce rumor Flacco has been given an early opportunity to test that theory. He appears to have the early edge in the Browns' starting quarterback battle after beginning OTAs as Cleveland's first-team quarterback. Whether that lasts may depend on how Pickett, Gabriel and Sanders progress as the season draws near. Flacco – the Super Bowl 47 MVP and 2023 NFL Comeback Player of the Year – is welcoming the competition. He also said he is enjoying the vibe in the team's quarterback room and working with younger quarterbacks like Sanders. "Shedeur has been great. I mean, he's a lot of fun to be around in those meeting rooms," Flacco said, per ESPN. "I think so far, there's been at least once in the meeting room that he's made me crack a smile, and that's what it's all about. You know, he's a young guy trying to learn some football and come out here and practice well and do those things. And like I said, he's been a lot of fun. I probably wasn't too far away from playing against his dad, and now I'm playing with him."
