Joe Flacco’s replacement on the Browns is an ex-Steelers quarterback and the second overall pick.
This offseason, the Cleveland Browns could be seeking to replace Joe Flacco as Deshaun Watson’s backup quarterback. One of the most likely choices is a quarterback from a previous division opponent.
On Friday, February 16th, Toni Grossi from 850 ESPN Cleveland and The Land on Demand made an appearance on ESPN Radio’s “The Really Big Show” to talk about the Browns’ backup quarterback possibilities. The guy at the top of his list was Mitch Trubisky, who was most recently released by the Pittsburgh Steelers to gain an early start in free agency.
Mitch Trubisky as a possible fallback, according to Grossi. “To begin with, Trubisky was well-liked by the Andrew Berry and Paul DePodesta administration upon his release from the draft. There’s also the connection to Ken Dorsey. With Brian Daboll serving as the coordinator at the time, Trubisky moved from Chicago to Buffalo as the backup quarterback. The quarterback’s coach was Dorsey. I believe Trubisky will be Ken Dorsey’s nominee.
In 2017, the Bears chose Trubisky with the second overall pick. Over the course of four seasons, he started 50 games there, earning a trip to the Pro Bowl in 2018.
Before moving to Pittsburgh in 2022, Trubisky spent a year in Buffalo, where Dorsey served as Josh Allen’s backup quarterback. Over the course of two seasons, he played in 12 games for the Steelers, starting seven of them, and finishing with a 2-5 record.
The majority of Trubisky’s tenure in Pittsburgh was spent supporting quarterback Kenny Pickett. After the second-year quarterback suffered an injury last season, he took over for Pickett; however, head coach Mike Tomlin ultimately substituted third-string signal-caller Mason Rudolph for Trubisky. Trubisky was eventually freed earlier this month as a result of that sequence of events.
According to Pro Football Reference, Trubisky has passed for 12,536 yards, 72 touchdowns, 48 interceptions, and a 31-26 record as a starter throughout his seven-year NFL career.
The fact that Grossi is even considering Trubisky as a possibility is undoubtedly bad news for Browns supporters who like Flacco.
During the regular season, Flacco went 4-1 for Cleveland and passed for well over 300 yards per game on average. His biggest flaw was that he made a lot of interceptions—ten in all during five starts throughout the regular season and the Browns’ crushing playoff defeat to the Houston Texans on Super Wildcard Weekend.
Nevertheless, Flacco connected with the city and his fellow Browns players. He has expressed gratitude for his time spent in Cleveland and said he could think about going back in 2024. But Flacco has also stated that he plans to play for two more seasons, so it seems likely that he is hoping to be a starter or at least to be a contender for one.
At least early in the season, it’s uncertain if he would have a genuine chance to do so in Cleveland. Days after the Browns were eliminated from the playoffs, head coach Kevin Stefanski announced that Watson will start the team’s offseason. Watson had shoulder surgery in November of last year, which ended his season. He should be fully recovered well before training camp begins this summer.
Beyond that, Flacco’s value may have increased dramatically in light of his exploits in the latter part of the season. In 2023, he only received a $2.5 million contract with Cleveland; however, that amount will probably increase in 2024. In the meanwhile, in May 2023, the 29-year-old Trubisky agreed to a two-year agreement worth $11.25 million in Pittsburgh; however, that amount is probably going to decline wherever he gets a new contract.
For Heavy.com, Max Dible covers the Golden State Warriors, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, Chicago Bears, and Cleveland Browns. Before joining Heavy, he worked as the news director for Pacific Media Group’s chain of Big Island radio stations as well as a reporter for West Hawaii Today, covering both local and state news. He also worked as the news director for BigIslandNow.com. Additional information on Max Dible
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