Browns Name Joe Flacco Backup Quarterback For Week 13

The Cleveland Browns named journeyman quarterback Joe Flacco as their new backup this week. He could start if Dorian Thompson-Robinson is unavailable for the team’s Week 13 game against the Los Angeles Rams.

If Flacco appears under center Sunday, he will be Cleveland’s fourth starting quarterback this season. After Deshaun Watson and P.J. Walker exchanged the role for most of the season while Watson dealt with multiple injuries, Thompson-Robinson stepped in as an alternative and has started the last two weeks. Though he managed to lead the team to a win over the Steelers, he has never managed to throw for more than 200 passing yards. He is currently in concussion protocol after exiting last weekend’s game against the Broncos.

“Big, strong arm. Obviously, he can make every throw,” Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said about Flacco Wednesday. “He’s done a very nice job in the meeting room, getting to know his teammates, getting to know the system. He’s done a nice job.”

Flacco, now 38, is most well-known for his work against Cleveland as the longtime quarterback for the Baltimore Ravens. He has bounced around since leaving his original team in 2018, playing for the Broncos, Jets and Eagles before landing on Cleveland’s practice squad.

Though Cleveland has struggled at the quarterback position this year and lost star running back Nick Chubb early on, the team is still 7-4 and would be in the playoffs as the sixth seed if the season ended this week. The Browns’ defense has been stifling all year and has kept them in games against some of the best teams in the league.

Regardless of whether Thompson-Robinson or Flacco starts, the team will likely have to lean on its defenders again in Week 13. The Chargers boast one of the best offenses in football and are coming off a frustrating loss to the Ravens.