Joe Flacco will get the start at quarterback for the Cleveland Browns when they face the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday.
And while the sight of the former Super Bowl-winning quarterback for the Baltimore Ravens starting for an AFC North rival might seem strange to some, one of Flacco’s most prominent former teammates doesn’t have a problem with it.
“It’s not like he’s going to the Steelers, man!” Hall of Fame safety Ed Reed, who played with Flacco in Baltimore from 2008-2012, told Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. “He’s somewhere that actually has a connection to Baltimore. But I’m all for it. It might be a Cinderella thing, it might be awesome, if Joe can get them to the playoffs.”
While the Browns and Ravens are natural rivals — as Reed alluded to, the original Browns franchise became the Ravens in 1996 before Cleveland was granted an expansion franchise in 1999 — the two teams were hardly competitive with each other during Flacco’s time in Baltimore. For his career, the Delaware product is 18-3 as a starting quarterback against the Browns, although one of those wins came last season when Flacco was a member of the New York Jets.
The 38-year-old’s first start for Cleveland comes less than two weeks after the Browns signed him to their practice squad after starter Deshaun Watson suffered a season-ending shoulder injury that required surgery. Last week, rookie quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson suffered a concussion in the Browns’ loss to the Denver Broncos, resulting in Flacco getting his first start of the 2023 season.
Despite being on its fourth starting quarterback of the season, Cleveland remains in position to potentially make the playoffs as it enters its Week 13 matchup with a 7-4 record. But while it’s been 11 years since Flacco led the Ravens to a Super Bowl title, it wouldn’t be the first time he’s been a part of a remarkable run if he can help guide the Browns back to the postseason following a two-year absence.
“He’s won a Super Bowl, and not many quarterbacks can say they won a Super Bowl,” Reed said. “He played his *** off during those whole playoffs.”
[NFL.com]
