Browns HC refutes narrative about why Joe Flacco won QB competition

Almost immediately after the Cleveland Browns confirmed that veteran Joe Flacco will serve as their starting quarterback for their regular-season opener against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sept. 7, some suggested that Flacco essentially won the job by default after the other three active signal-callers on the roster dealt with injury setbacks this summer. 

While speaking with reporters on Tuesday, Cleveland head coach Kevin Stefanski said that Flacco has "done exactly what we’ve asked him to do" and that the Browns "have a lot of confidence in" the 40-year-old.

"He earned it," Stefanski said about naming Flacco his Week 1 QB1, per Myles Simmons of Pro Football Talk. "And I understand with the injuries how that may look. That’s really not the case here. Joe performed really well both in practice, in the joint practices, in the meeting room — you name it — in the walk-through. Just what he’s able to bring to the football team, he’s earned that role." 

2022 first-round draft selection Kenny Pickett was seen by some at the start of training camp as the favorite to win the Cleveland starting job. However, he suffered a hamstring injury on July 26 that sidelined him for the club's first two preseason games. 

2025 third-round choice Dillon Gabriel didn't play in Cleveland's preseason opener at the Carolina Panthers because of a hamstring issue, while 2025 fifth-rounder Shedeur Sanders sat out the Browns' 22-13 win over the Philadelphia Eagles on Aug. 16 due to an oblique injury. 

Multiple reports have indicated neither Gabriel nor Sanders ever came close to leapfrogging Flacco on the depth chart. 

"I think the guys do believe in Joe, but I want to give credit to that entire group," Stefanski added during his comments. "I think those guys are working very, very hard. We have a standard for that position regardless of who’s in there. Practice, games, how we operate, what we believe in — we have a very, very high standard. Obviously, Joe, having done it at a high level, has done it here as well, that lends itself to confidence in himself and confidence in his teammates."

Flacco will turn 41 years old in January 2026 and seems to understand what could happen if he has a losing record come October. For now, Pickett, Gabriel and Sanders will head into Cleveland's preseason finale versus the Los Angeles Rams this Saturday battling for the right to serve as Flacco's primary backup.