CLEVELAND — Free agent quarterback Joe Flacco signed Monday with the Cleveland Browns, giving them depth, experience and an insurance plan as a starter following Deshaun Watson’s season-ending shoulder surgery.
The 38-year-old Flacco, who went 18-3 in his career against the Browns while playing mostly with the Ravens, initially will be on the team’s practice squad, with the expectation he’ll soon be added to the active roster.
Flacco was MVP of Super Bowl 47 and has passed for more than 42,000 yards. He played the past three seasons with the New York Jets.
At some point, Flacco could move into a starting role with the Browns (7-3), who beat the Steelers 13-10 on Sunday with rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson leading a late comeback.
Thompson-Robinson looked better in his second start, and the fifth-round draft pick completed four straight passes on Cleveland’s final drive to set up a game-winning field goal.
But with Flacco on board, the Browns could make another QB switch. They’ve already used three starting quarterbacks: Watson, Thompson-Robinson and P.J. Walker, who made two starts and came off the bench in a third game.
Cleveland’s top-ranked defense could make them a contender, but the Browns may need to get more out of their offense, and that could require coach Kevin Stefanski shifting to Flacco, who still has a big arm along with 15 years of NFL experience.
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