Most think Joe Flacco will be the Browns' Week 1 starter, as the rest of the room consists of two mid to late-round rookies and a first-round reclamation project in Kenny Pickett. There could be some optimism based on Flacco's last run with Cleveland in 2023, where he came off his couch to lead a magical playoff run despite being the team's fifth different quarterback that season.
Despite the ridiculous run that led to Flacco winning Comeback Player of the Year, it remains to be seen whether that will translate to any success in 2025. Flacco's style of play is much more suitable for Kevin Stefanski's offense, and the change back under-center could help the run game take center stage and take pressure off the quarterback. Despite the history together, Bleacher Report's Kristopher Knox projected Flacco to be the team's biggest bust for the upcoming season.
Joe Flacco predicted to be Browns' biggest bust in 2025
Knox mostly cites the Browns' supporting cast as his biggest reason for pessimism about Flacco and Cleveland as a whole. He also doesn't expect the defense to dominate to the extent they did during his last run, which will put his play much more in the limelight than before.
"Any fans hoping to see a repeat of Flacco Fever are going to be disheartened. Assuming Flacco even beats out the other three quarterbacks, he's not joining a roster that is a QB away from postseason contention. The 2023 Browns had the league's top-ranked defense, and Cleveland has regressed significantly on that side of the ball since."Bleacher Report's Kristopher Knox
While this won't get Browns fans jazzed up for the season, it's probably a fair concern to point out. The offensive line is aging and coming off a rough year, but they have the talent to go back to being at least league average and providing a run game and pass protection to make Flacco's life easier. The playmakers are certainly questionable as well, but it wouldn't be the craziest thing to see Quinshon Judkins, Jerry Jeudy, Cedric Tillman, and David Njoku headline a solid group to support the veteran.
For Flacco to be a "bust" this season, it will all depend on what each individual's expectations are for him. A repeat of 2023 would probably be the best-case scenario for the season with Flacco, and that seems unlikely unless both sides of the ball return close to their best form. In reality, Flacco's job is to keep the Browns competitive for the beginning part of the season and get the offense turning in the right direction so they are in a good place when it's time to move to Dillon Gabriel or Shedeur Sanders.