Joe Flacco is again for his second stint with the Cleveland Browns.
Heading into the 2025 season, the veteran NFL sign caller is the skilled head in a quarterback room that additionally contains Kenny Pickett and two rookies in Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders.
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However simply because Flacco’s a Tremendous Bowl champion with almost twenty years of professional soccer expertise behind him, do not anticipate him to tackle the function of ‘mentor’ with these youthful guys simply but.
He is able to put within the work and cement himself on the high of Cleveland’s depth chart.
Whereas draft picks Gabriel and Sanders signify the long run, and Pickett can be extremely regarded by one Corridor of Fame quarterback, Flacco is the presumed Week 1 starter.
And if he has to face in the best way of some promising younger prospects, so be it.
On Wednesday, Flacco spoke to reporters at Browns OTAs, and was requested in regards to the thought of being a mentor to the blokes behind him.
He made it clear he would not need that label in 2025.
In reality, he accused the journalists of attempting to journey him up with questions on his function in Cleveland’s QB room.
“It is a good query to bait anyone into answering and regardless of how they reply it, it type of makes the man that is answering it look dangerous,” Flacco started.
“If I say, ‘I do not wish to be a mentor,’ I look dangerous. If I say, ‘I do wish to be a mentor,’ then I seem like an fool that does not care about being good and enjoying soccer.
“So it is a kind of questions that it doesn’t matter what I say, you guys can write what you wish to write about it. And there is lots of questions like that. That is why you find yourself having to attempt to keep away from them.
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“I are likely to attempt to be trustworthy, and I’ve mentioned, ‘I am not a mentor. I play soccer.’ In a quarterback room, there’s lots of instances — there’s been already a ton of instances — the place there’s studying experiences.
“I’ve lots of expertise, and I can speak on issues, and hopefully they pay attention.
“Nevertheless it’s not essentially my job to ensure they hearken to me.
“Hopefully you could have a extremely good relationship with the blokes which can be within the room, and also you naturally wish to do this.”
Flacco then snapped again at a reporter, who as a comply with up requested if he thinks that his view is extra predominant across the league than some may assume, as a result of he’s truly prepared to speak about it.
He replied: “Due to what I simply mentioned, you are appearing like I do not wish to be a mentor. As soon as once more, it is probably not about that. It is simply not the primary focus.
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“I see myself as a man that may play on this league… one of the simplest ways to be a mentor is to point out folks the way you go to work.”
Whereas Flacco has made clear his intention to be enjoying week in, week out, it appears he can have severe competitors for that function.
Stats from Wednesday’s OTA session, posted by ESPN Cleveland, recommend that each rookies are discovering their groove.
Oregon prospect Gabriel went 11-of-16 on his throws, with two touchdowns and one interception throughout group drills.
Flacco in the meantime was 9-of-14, with one landing, and Pickett went 9-of-16, with no touchdowns.
Sanders, although, impressed essentially the most. He went 7-of-9, throwing three touchdowns, having just lately been in comparison with seven-time Tremendous Bowl winner Tom brady, responding in one of the simplest ways doable to doubters.
If the previous Colorado star, who suffered an all-time draft slide, continues to outperform his teammates, he will certainly give the Browns a call to make with regards to his place on the depth chart.
And whereas Flacco needs to be the starter in Cleveland this yr, it is clear he can have a combat on his fingers for that spot.
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