Browns quarterback Joe Flacco is set to make his first Week 1 start since 2022 on Sunday when Cleveland takes on Cincinnati.
Flacco, 40, is plenty familiar with the Browns, having led them to the postseason in 2023. But even as he’s entering his 18th pro season, Flacco’s temperament and attitude have had a positive effect on the team as a whole.
“Yeah, you see his intensity continue to show through,” offensive coordinator Tommy Rees told reporters in his Thursday press conference. “It was great during training camp and then it’s been fun to like game plan and prepare and get ready for opponents. A lot of open dialogue on comfort level, on how we’re going to protect things, on seeing different things.
“So, when you have a guy with as much experience as he does, there’s a lot that you can ask of the quarterback and he owns that role, and he’s still great with the guys, giving them confidence and providing just a calming presence for all those young guys that are playing for us.”
Flacco completed 60.3 percent of his throws for 1,616 yards with 13 touchdowns and eight interceptions in his five starts for Cleveland in 2023. Last year for Indianapolis, he completed 65.3 percent of his passes for 1,761 yards with 12 TDs and seven picks in eight appearances with six starts.
