When the Browns traded Joe Flacco to Cincinnati, it didn’t just surprise fans — it stunned the locker room. And when the next day’s move sent starting cornerback Greg Newsome II packing in what was arguably his best season, it felt like a canary in the coal mine. Cleveland fans and media alike began asking the same question: Are the Browns tanking — already?
A week later, Flacco’s name is once again at the center of the AFC North — starting for the Bengals against the Steelers in a primetime Thursday night matchup that every Browns fan, and much of the NFL, will be watching.
Was Trading Joe Flacco a Mistake?
A Trade That Made No Sense
The deal itself was baffling. It reportedly caught Coach Kevin Stefanski off guard. The usually unflappable Stefanski seemed genuinely taken aback — and for good reason. The rest of the season now rests in the hands of two rookie quarterbacks behind an offensive line that looks more like a revolving door than a fortress.
Even Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin — never one to stir another franchise’s pot — couldn’t resist a jab at Cleveland’s front office. He called the Browns’ trade of Joe Flacco to an AFC North rival “shocking” and said it “doesn’t make sense” from their perspective, adding, “Andrew Berry must be a lot smarter than me — or us.” Tomlin went on to say the move made perfect sense for Cincinnati, praising Flacco’s arm strength, experience, and locker-room presence.
Flacco was never meant to be a long-term solution. He was supposed to be stability — the veteran who could steady the ship while the Browns evaluated their young talent and waited to see if Deshaun Watson could be cleared to return. Watson playing seems very unlikely, if not impossible. But with the Browns, anything feels possible — except consistency. Instead, Cleveland shipped out its most experienced quarterback for a fifth-round pick, in the middle of a storm.
From Couch to Cleveland’s Savior
For Browns fans, this all feels like déjà vu — because it was a Thursday night on December 28, 2023, when Flacco saved Cleveland’s season. Under the lights at Cleveland Browns Stadium, he threw for 309 yards and three touchdowns in a 37–20 win over the New York Jets — the same team that had given up on him after 2022, leaving him sitting on his couch in New Jersey until a desperate, quarterback-starved Browns team came calling in November 2023.
The victory clinched a playoff berth — only Cleveland’s second since 2002 — and turned a seemingly cursed season into a charmed one.
Flacco finished 19-of-29 with a 121.2 passer rating, improving to 4-1 as Cleveland’s starter. As the final minutes ticked away, Browns fans chanted “Flac-co! Flac-co!” — a quarterback they once reviled as a Raven, now revered as a savior.
“You don’t know how many of these moments you’re going to get,” Flacco said afterward. “I’m going to remember this for the rest of my life.”
Fast Forward: Orange and Black Déjà Vu
Less than two years later, the same player who resurrected the Browns’ playoff hopes is wearing orange and black — this time for their divisional rival.
In Cincinnati, Flacco looks calm and composed — running the Bengals’ offense with the poise of a Super Bowl champion. He looked sharp in the second half of his Bengals debut, showing the same field vision and rhythm Cleveland has lacked since his departure.
Will Joe find that Flacco magic again in Cincinnati?
Will Thursday Night Football be a scene of Bengals fans “going wacko for Flacco”?
Andrew Berry is betting no — that Father Time, not Flacco, will win this round.
Inside the Locker Room: Leadership Lost
Inside the Browns’ locker room, frustration simmers just below the surface. Veterans like David Njoku, Joel Bitonio, Myles Garrett, and Denzel Ward know how much steady quarterback leadership means over a long, punishing season. They watched Flacco rally their team in 2023 — make veteran throws under pressure, command the huddle, and deliver when it mattered most.
That leadership surfaced again this year in the Browns’ stunning win over the Green Bay Packers. In the final seconds, after the defense recovered a blocked kick, Flacco calmly led the offense into field-goal range with surgical precision:
0:12 (4th Quarter) — Flacco hits David Njoku on a short middle route for eight yards to the Green Bay 37.
0:03 (4th) — Flacco spikes the ball to stop the clock.
0:02 (4th) — Timeout, Green Bay.
0:00 (4th) — Anders Szmyt drills a 55-yard field goal to win it.
Cleveland 13, Green Bay 10. Ballgame.
Now, those same veterans are watching another season unravel under the weight of inconsistency, indecision, and inexperience.
The Verdict
So was trading Joe Flacco a mistake?
If the goal was to rebuild for the future — maybe not.
If the goal was to win football games right now — absolutely.
And if Flacco leads the Bengals to a win over Pittsburgh this Thursday night, it’ll do more than sting Cleveland fans. It’ll raise serious questions about whether the Browns’ front office lost sight of the one thing this franchise has chased for decades: stability at quarterback.
Because sometimes, in the NFL, leadership is worth more than draft picks.
Main Image: Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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