Report: Browns eyeing Super Bowl champion QB in wake of Deshaun Watson injury
Dorian Thompson-Robinson is in line to serve as the starting quarterback in Cleveland for the remainder of the season, but that doesn't mean the Browns aren't looking for reinforcement behind the rookie signal-caller.
According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the Browns are hosting free-agent quarterback Joe Flacco for a workout on Friday.
Flacco, 38, led the Baltimore Ravens to a Super Bowl victory 10 years ago and would rank fourth among active quarterbacks in career passing yards (42,320) should he be signed to a 53-man roster.
Flacco started four games for the New York Jets in 2022 and while his 1-4 record wasn't pretty, the former Super Bowl MVP performed admirably in spot duty. Flacco finished the year with 1,051 passing yards, five touchdowns and three interceptions. He enjoyed a stellar two-game stretch from Week 1-2 when he amassed 616 yards passing and five touchdowns.
Despite remaining a free agent throughout the first half of the 2023 season, Flacco hasn't debated retirement. In fact, the veteran quarterback was patiently waiting for an opportunity to arise like the one he may potentially find himself in Cleveland.
"So I do think that at the point that my career is in, it is a positive thing in a lot of ways that I'm not anywhere right now, because if somebody does need somebody, at least I'm available," Flacco told ESPN in September.
On Wednesday, the Browns announced Deshaun Watson would undergo season-ending surgery to repair a fracture in his shoulder. While Watson put forth an up-and-down effort throughout his abbreviated campaign — his 44.5 QBR ranks 23rd in the NFL — the three-time Pro Bowler does have the Browns in playoff contention with a record of 6-3.
While Thompson-Robinson's dual-threat skillset presents a higher upside than Flacco for a team with Super Bowl aspirations, signing the latter could prove vital for the rookie's growth over the next eight weeks of the regular season.
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