Joe Flacco on benching: I don't think I foresaw it - NBC Sports
Flacco told reporters he didn't necessarily see Dillon Gabriel replacing him coming at this point in the year.
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Joe Flacco on benching: I don’t think I foresaw it
By
Myles Simmons,
By
Myles Simmons
Published October 1, 2025 12:02 PM
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Joe Flacco has been here before — benched for a young quarterback after leading a struggling offensive unit.
But that experience doesn’t necessarily make things easier.
The Browns officially benched Flacco for Dillon Gabriel on Wednesday after starting the season 1-3 with the 40-year-old Flacco as QB1. Head coach Kevin Stefanski told reporters that the offense’s performance was not all on Flacco and that all parties need to perform better. But that is likely little consolation for Flacco, who previously helped lead Cleveland to the postseason in 2023.
“I don’t think I foresaw it,” Flacco said of his benching in his Wednesday press conference. “Listen, I think I said it on Sunday, anytime you’re in this league, everybody’s always getting evaluated. The job of the quarterback is to help your team win football games. So, I don’t know if I foresaw it coming, but listen, me and Kevin can have a good conversation. It’s not like anything that was super long or drawn out like that. But, got to the point, had a good conversation about it, and it is what it is.”
While losing the starting role is tough, Flacco noted that the team’s general offensive struggles were in some ways worse.
https://www.nbcnews.com/sports/nfl/joe-flacco-on-benching-i-dont-think-i-foresaw-it-ncna1407562
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