Joe Flacco had his first practice as the Browns starting quarterback on Tuesday, bringing a resolution to the training camp quarterback competition.
Head Coach Kevin Stefanski expressed his excitement for Flacco to start, saying he was very pleased with how the entire quarterback room is working and how Flacco has responded to the tasks that the coaching staff has asked of him during training camp.
"I have a ton of faith in Joe (Flacco)," Stefanski said. "I have confidence in Joe. I'm excited for him. His teammates know what he's about. He's a hard worker."
Despite the achievement of being named quarterback, Flacco explained that he isn't too emotional about the decision, saying he will reflect at a different time on his accomplishments.
"You keep your head down and just try to do your best," Flacco said. "Felt like I was having a good camp with the reps I was given. And that's all you can do."
Flacco is preparing to start during the last preseason game against the Los Angeles Rams on Aug. 23, which would be his first game action of the preseason. He believes that getting playing time during the game will be valuable for both physical reps and his overall mindset, as well as preparation for the beginning of the regular season.
Flacco, who is entering his 18th season and turned 40 years old in January, explained he does not take anything for granted in the NFL. He elaborated that his age doesn't change his mindset but is focused on just playing the game of football.
"You get tricked a little bit when you're in a locker room with all these guys," Flacco said. "You just kind of assume you're in your 20s, and you keep telling yourself that, and I really do feel great."
Check out the top shots from Day 15 of 2025 Browns Training Camp as players got to work with drills, workouts and team prep at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus.
Defensive tackle Mason Graham (94) during Day 15 of Training Camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on August 19, 2025.
Wide receiver Kaden Davis (89) during Day 15 of Training Camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on August 19, 2025.
Wide receiver Jerry Jeudy (3) during Day 15 of Training Camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on August 19, 2025.
Wide receiver Gage Larvadain (84) during Day 15 of Training Camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on August 19, 2025.
Defensive end Myles Garrett (95) during Day 15 of Training Camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on August 19, 2025.
Tight end Harold Fannin Jr. (88) during Day 15 of Training Camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on August 19, 2025.
Linebacker Carson Schwesinger (49) during Day 15 of Training Camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on August 19, 2025.
Wide receiver Jamari Thrash (80) during Day 15 of Training Camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on August 19, 2025.
Quarterback Tyler Huntley (7) during Day 15 of Training Camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on August 19, 2025.
A helmet during Day 15 of Training Camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on August 19, 2025.
Wide receiver Isaiah Bond (81) during Day 15 of Training Camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on August 19, 2025.
Head Coach Kevin Stefanski during Day 15 of Training Camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on August 19, 2025.
Wide receiver Diontae Johnson (16) during Day 15 of Training Camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on August 19, 2025.
Quarterback Joe Flacco (15), Quarterback Shedeur Sanders (12) and Quarterback Tyler Huntley (7) during Day 15 of Training Camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on August 19, 2025.
Head Coach Kevin Stefanski during Day 15 of Training Camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on August 19, 2025.
Offensive tackle Lorenzo Thompson (69) during Day 15 of Training Camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on August 19, 2025.
Linebacker Easton Mascarenas-Arnold (42) during Day 15 of Training Camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on August 19, 2025.
The defensive backs during Day 15 of Training Camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on August 19, 2025.
Tight end Harold Fannin Jr. (88) during Day 15 of Training Camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on August 19, 2025.
Defensive end Joe Tryon-Shoyinka (90) during Day 15 of Training Camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on August 19, 2025.
Safety Damontae Kazee (23) during Day 15 of Training Camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on August 19, 2025.
Wide receiver Kaden Davis (89) during Day 15 of Training Camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on August 19, 2025.
Linebacker Carson Schwesinger (49) during Day 15 of Training Camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on August 19, 2025.
Wide receiver Gage Larvadain (84) during Day 15 of Training Camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on August 19, 2025.
Wide receiver Isaiah Bond (81) during Day 15 of Training Camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on August 19, 2025.
Wide receiver Jamari Thrash (80) during Day 15 of Training Camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on August 19, 2025.
Safety Christopher Edmonds (41) during Day 15 of Training Camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on August 19, 2025.
Cornerback Myles Harden (26) and Linebacker Devin Bush (30) during Day 15 of Training Camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on August 19, 2025.
Defensive Line Coach Jacques Cesaire during Day 15 of Training Camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on August 19, 2025.
Safeties Coach Ephraim Banda during Day 15 of Training Camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on August 19, 2025.
Quarterback Dillon Gabriel (5) during Day 15 of Training Camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on August 19, 2025.
Tight end David Njoku (85) during Day 15 of Training Camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on August 19, 2025.
Safety Nik Needham (25) and Football Operations Assistant Hajriz Aliu during Day 15 of Training Camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on August 19, 2025.
Cornerback Dom Jones (37) during Day 15 of Training Camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on August 19, 2025.
The linebackers during Day 15 of Training Camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on August 19, 2025.
Wide receiver Isaiah Bond (81) during Day 15 of Training Camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on August 19, 2025.
A water bottle during Day 15 of Training Camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on August 19, 2025.
Tight end Blake Whiteheart (86) during Day 15 of Training Camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on August 19, 2025.
Yet, he said there are also positives to his amount of time and experience in the league. Throughout training camp, Flacco was rarely seen throwing the ball out of bounds, keeping his composure through defensive pressure.
"Specifically, a quarterback, you definitely should get better as your age climbs up," Flacco said. "And even if there's things that you haven't seen before and somehow somebody's creating something new, it's just the way that you react to that, you can tell is a little bit more experienced than a younger guy, that it might throw them off a little bit."
Flacco's experience is one of the factors as to why Stefanski chose Flacco to start for the Browns. Stefanski said Flacco earned his spot through his work in offseason, training camp and the meeting room.
"Obviously there's value in experience," Stefanski said. "And that's something that Joe has a ton of. Experience as a starter, as a backup, in different systems, going against different schemes. So, he'll certainly lean on that experience, and we will as well."
