It seriously felt like a Browns fairy tale. Remember late 2023? Joe Flacco showed up out of nowhere, slung it like it’s 2012, and almost carried the team into the playoffs. It wasn’t just a hot streak, no. It was like watching a football ghost story in real time. So yeah, when Cleveland re-signed him for 2025? All sunshine and rainbows.

But that happiness? Short-lived. The Browns fans were again victims of the team’s ‘uncertainty at QB’ behaviour. Something that has been going on for ages now. But now, a week before training camp, Kevin Stefanski might have figured it all out.

On the latest Orange and Brown Talk pod, the message was pretty loud and clear: the Browns’ QB plan to start the year might be… Joe Flacco. Yes, Super Bowl MVP, 40 years old, and somehow still slinging it like he’s got something to prove. Well, at least for week one.

Host Dan Labbe made his feelings known. “If the decision were up to me, I’d feel comfortable saying [Flacco] is going to be my starter on Week 1. Then maybe we’ll hand over the keys to maybe Pickett.” And that ‘maybe’? It’s doing some heavy lifting. Because Stefanski’s priority? Trust and Stability. And Flacco embodies those pillars like clockwork.

He went 4-1 as a starter last year, dropped over 1,600 yards and 13 TDs, and dragged the Browns into the playoffs. That wasn’t a fluke. Far from it. So, if he does end up starting in week 1? There is no reason for any of you to be surprised. Mary Kay shared that sentiment. “One of the reasons why I would go with Joe Flacco in week one over Pickett is because Pickett is still learning. It’s not automatic and natural for him,” she said.

But Dan also brought up a concerning reality. He pointed out the obvious concern with Flacco: durability. “The last time he played a full season was 2017. Since then, it’s been 9 games, 8, 5, 2, 5, 5, and 8.” Well, yes, not exactly Iron Man material. So while Flacco might be the best option to start the season, no one’s pretending he’s making it the full 17. The real plan? Let Joe give the Browns a solid jumpstart, then (hopefully) hand things over to Pickett once he’s more ready. It’s more of a baton pass than a full-on QB takeover.

It’s the perfect way to move forward. Stefanski? He might have finally cracked the code. The man is making pretty bold decisions, too. And when you look at the Browns’ depth chart? You’d be surprised.

Depth chart underscores the Flacco-Pickett dilemma

Just when the Browns’ QB room felt packed enough, the leaked 2025 depth chart made it clear (or made things even messier). According to the chart, rookie Shedeur Sanders is sitting fourth. Yes, fourth. Joe Flacco is at the top, followed by Kenny Pickett, with Dillon Gabriel in third and Shedeur Sanders in fourth. And this just reaffirms Stefanski’s Flacco-Pickett strategy.

Sanders is still working through the same concerns scouts had before the draft. Holding the ball too long, slow to go through reads. The usual rookie growing pains. So far in camp, he’s mostly been getting mop-up duty in drills. First-team reps? Pretty much nonexistent. Remember those OTA clips and all that hype? Who would have thought it would come down to this?

But fellow rookie Gabriel isn’t going through the same motions. And so far? He’s turning heads. He’s reading the field quicker, looks more comfortable in the system, and that mobility gives him an edge. Right now, he’s clearly ahead of Sanders on the depth chart.

But don’t get it twisted, both Sanders and Dillon are in the same boat. They’re just trying to survive that crowded QB room. This season was always simply an audition for the rookies. Flacco and Pickett have that starting spot stoned. It was always between the two. And now? We might have finally gotten a clearer picture. We might see Flacco starting and Pickett getting passed the torch later on. It’s the ideal answer to a packed 2025 season.