Why Joe Flacco may be looking to prove even Browns wrong during 2025 season

40-year-old Joe Flacco emerged as the winner of the competition for the Cleveland Browns' starting quarterback job that reportedly "wasn’t close" this summer. 

For a lengthy piece published on Wednesday, ESPN's Daniel Oyefusi touched upon how Flacco wasn't Cleveland's first choice to serve as its 2025 Week 1 QB1 this past winter. 

"The team pursued Daniel Jones and hosted Russell Wilson on a visit, but both veteran QBs signed deals that Cleveland had little desire to match, multiple team sources said," Oyefusi wrote. "The Browns' reluctance to openly commit to what they were doing with the No. 2 pick (of this year's draft) also complicated matters with free agent quarterbacks who were wary of being backdoored by a top rookie."

Back in March, the Indianapolis Colts signed Jones to a one-year, $14M contract that's worth up to $17.7M and included $13.15M guaranteed. Meanwhile, Wilson inked a one-year deal worth up to $21M that included $10.5M guaranteed. 

To compare, the Browns signed Flacco to a one-year, $4M contract worth up to $13M with incentives after they acquired Kenny Pickett from the Philadelphia Eagles during the offseason. Cleveland then traded down in the draft order after it became clear the Tennessee Titans were going to make Miami's Cam Ward, the consensus best quarterback in his class, the first pick of the player-selection process. 

According to Oyefusi, the Browns would've taken Ward at No. 2.

A previous rumor claimed that some individuals within the Browns wanted Pickett to win the QB1 gig, largely because he'll be 27 years old through the upcoming season. However, he suffered a lingering hamstring injury on July 26 that kept him from playing in Cleveland's preseason games before he was traded to the Las Vegas Raiders in late August. 

Multiple reports have indicated neither 2025 third-round draft pick Dillon Gabriel nor 2025 fifth-round choice Shedeur Sanders ever came close to leapfrogging Flacco on the depth chart. 

Oyefusi added that Browns star pass-rusher Myles Garrett made it known before he signed a massive four-year contract extension that included $123.5M guaranteed in March that he "preferred a veteran quarterback who could contribute -- with the understanding Cleveland wasn't in a position to spend lucratively and would likely also be bringing in a rookie quarterback." That's understandable considering the Browns remain on the hook for what's left of the fully guaranteed five-year, $230M contract they gave Deshaun Watson in March 2022. 

Watson reinjured his Achilles while recovering from the initial setback he suffered last October. It's unclear if he'll make a return to Cleveland's active roster before Week 18 of the upcoming season arrives. 

As for Flacco, he seemingly will have plenty to prove to critics and his current employer when Cleveland opens the campaign with a home game against the Cincinnati Bengals this coming Sunday.