Veteran quarterback Joe Flacco is returning for another season, reuniting with the Cleveland Browns on a one-year deal. This is the second notable addition Cleveland has made to the position, also adding former Pittsburgh starter Kenny Pickett this offseason. What the Browns are going to do at quarterback remains a bit of a mystery. The team holds a top-five pick they could use to land one of this year's top prospects. The franchise could also opt to move forward with Pickett or Flacco as they continue to deal with the Deshaun Watson debacle.
For Atlanta, the hope was that the Browns would be the one team willing to talk themselves into Kirk Cousins. Considering the franchise's bleak history of quarterback decisions, it isn't a difficult sell to believe they would have an interest in the veteran. However, there is no denying that this latest signing only decreases Atlanta's hopes of parting ways with the veteran.
Cleveland signing Flacco further pours cold water on Atlanta's offseason trade hopes
Cleveland was one of the consistently speculated landing spots for Kirk Cousins. The Browns were the one remaining franchise that had been a potential a landing spot that didn't have a starting option. Pittsburgh could be thrown into this conversation as well, however, it has been made clear the franchise has eyes only for Aaron Rodgers, viewing Cousins and draft options as fallbacks.
Joe Flacco is the perfect backup quarterback at this stage of his career. After flaming out in Baltimore and Denver, the veteran reinvented himself as a backup gunslinger. This worked well enough to help fuel the Browns to a surprise 2023 playoff appearance and earn Flacco another round of paychecks. With this in mind, it doesn't add up that the Browns would sign Flacco and still have interest in another veteran backup in Cousins.
Signing Flacco is a move that is more likely to fit with the Browns drafting a quarterback. A quarterback room of Flacco, Pickett, and a rookie makes a level of sense. Throwing Cousins into that trio objectively does not. As frustrating as it might be for Atlanta fans, it appears the possibility of Cousins returning for another season is very real.
Atlanta having a historically paid backup behind Michael Penix Jr. remains the defining story of the offseason. It doesn't appear that is going to change anytime soon. Atlanta's lone hope of trading the veteran is likely dependent on Rodgers refusing the Steelers. Otherwise, the Falcons are going to have to decide how serious they are about having Cousins on the roster for the 2025 season.