40-year-old Joe Flacco stands as the Cleveland Browns’ most experienced player by a considerable margin as he enters his 18th NFL season.
The veteran quarterback also holds a distinct advantage in familiarity, having worked directly with head coach Kevin Stefanski during the 2023 season.
That prior relationship gives Flacco something Kenny Pickett, Dillon Gabriel, and Shedeur Sanders cannot claim as the quarterback competition heats up.
With mandatory minicamp beginning Monday, reporters quickly noticed Flacco wasn’t receiving as many passing repetitions as his younger counterparts.
“I don’t know what the plan is exactly, but I trust Kevin and that he has a plan for all of this,” Flacco said, per Scott Petrak. “That’s really all I can do. I’d love to go out there and take 120 reps a day, get in a groove and do all those things, but like I said, the coaches have a plan. Kevin has a plan, and my job is just to trust that, go out there and do the best I can.”
Browns QB Joe Flacco on not getting a ton of reps the last two days. pic.twitter.com/80HBDneRqg
— Scott Petrak ct (@ScottPetrak) June 11, 2025
The veteran quarterback approached questions about the rep distribution with typical composure, expressing confidence in Stefanski’s strategy while acknowledging his desire for more work.
Flacco took no 7-on-7 or 11-on-11 repetitions Monday but threw seven passes Tuesday, completing three without a touchdown.
June practice repetitions rarely correlate with September starting positions, and Flacco appears unbothered by his current snap count.
Head coach Kevin Stefanski clarified the reasoning behind the practice distribution following Tuesday’s session.
He explained that limiting Flacco’s snaps was intentional, designed to provide the coaching staff with a more comprehensive evaluation of the entire quarterback room.
With final roster decisions still weeks away, Cleveland is prioritizing a structured approach to repetitions, using each session to gather maximum insight before critical choices emerge closer to Week 1.
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