The Cleveland Browns' 2024 season needed an excavation, and two ESPN writers provided just that ahead of Week 18 and the teams' last game of the year.
In a new report published on ESPN the Thursday ahead of their final game of the season, it was revealed that the Browns might have actually let their one reliable quarterback option from 2023 go because of Deshaun Watson's ego. This is just one of several pretty big claims made in the piece, but this specific one really jumps off the page.
Flacco might have been allowed to walk because of Watson's ego
In a new report out from NFL senior writer Jeremy Fowler and Cleveland Browns beat reporter Daniel Oyefusi, a source with alleged knowledge of what happened in the 2024 offseason between the team and Flacco indicated that a reason why the Browns let Flacco walk is because the team didn't want him on the sideline acting as a distraction for Watson.
"But Flacco had become a fan favorite, and one source with knowledge of Cleveland's thinking believed that having Flacco hold the clipboard would have been a bone of local contention every time Watson missed a read or a receiver," said Fowler and Oyefusi in the article.
According to them, the source added "I 100% believe that was a factor, the need to not have him hanging over Watson as he built his confidence."
Read more: Deshaun Watson being blamed for 2024 Browns disaster is entirely justified
Of course, the team apparently denied that allegation, but it would add up considering that one of the points that Jameis Winston hammered home when coming on as the team's de facto QB1 after Watson's Achilles injury was that he was there to help Watson in any way he could, and not to completely replace him.
Flacco provided one of the best sparks the Browns had seen in years, leading them on a 4-1 run to end the year to make the postseason in 2023. While they lost to the Houston Texans in the Wild Card round, it was obvious that the team had something with him under center.
Specifically, they had something with any quarterback who could run former OC Alex Van Pelt's system - a run heavy, play action heavy scheme. This, allegedly, was another point of contention for the Browns players who played with Van Pelt comfortably. When he was replaced by Ken Dorsey, it was reportedly confusing for players who grew accustomed to his system.
"Multiple Browns players told ESPN they were surprised by the decision to part ways with Van Pelt, which came four days after their season ended in Houston, while conceding the normal nature of NFL staff turnover from year to year," reported Fowler and Oyefusi.
This change at OC coupled with a turnover in backup quarterback led to a disastrous season after an 11-6 year. Instability and a lack of identity as a result of so many seemingly unnecessary changes will hopefully teach head coach Kevin Stefanski and general manager Andrew Berry a lesson about why continuity matters so much when something is working.