On Sunday, the Cleveland Browns signed a Pro Bowl quarterback to their roster following a major decision they made at quarterback a few days ago. The Browns signed former first-round pick Jameis Winston as Deshaun Watson’s backup for the 2024 season.
The decision closed the door for Joe Flacco to return for the upcoming season.
The Cleveland Browns are closing the door on Joe Flacco
According to Jason Lloyd with The Athletic, the Browns chose not to sign Flacco this offseason because they were afraid the Team would rally behind Flacco over Watson:
That left the Browns pivoting toward Winston because it couldn’t be Flacco. It wasn’t worth the risk. Flacco was so electric in his brief time here that he won over factions of the locker room quicker than anyone thought possible. The harmony of those 53 is far more important than the backup quarterback.
Talk to any former player or anyone involved with the league and they will at least acknowledge the fragility of the quarterback depth chart. When the starter struggles, particularly when he doesn’t have a deep history of success, it’s easy for the locker room to split and for players to take sides.
It isn’t healthy and can quickly turn toxic. Nobody wants to talk about this stuff on the record, but more than one veteran acknowledged to me toward the end of last season that it would be difficult for the Browns to bring back Flacco given Watson’s presence.
The Cleveland Browns signed another QB
With Watson and Winston on the roster, the Browns added a third quarterback before OTAs this spring. Per Ari Meirov with the 33rd Team, the Browns signed former Baltimore Ravens quarterback Tyler Huntley.
Huntley brings Pro Bowl expected to the Browns
Huntly earned a Pro Bowl appearance in 2022 for his outstanding season when he started in place of an injured Lamar Jackson.
Huntley has thrown for 1,957 yards, eight touchdowns, and seven interceptions in his four-year NFL career. Huntley will provide experienced depth at the QB3 position.
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