The Cleveland Browns lost starting quarterback Deshaun Watson for the season earlier this year due to shoulder surgery. Now, they’re experiencing another injury to the quarterback position — this time to rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson.
In Week 12, Thompson-Robinson suffered a concussion that forced him to leave the game. P.J. Walker filled in for the rookie, compiling six of 13 passes for 56 yards.
Now, heading into Week 13, if Thompson-Robinson cannot start, the Browns will likely turn things over to recently signed veteran and Super Bowl-winning quarterback Joe Flacco.
Heading into Week 13, the Browns are 7-4, tied with the Pittsburgh Steelers for second place in the AFC North. With this news, the Browns are to make the playoffs and to win the Super Bowl.
Will Joe Flacco start at QB for the Browns?
Thompson-Robinson’s concussion in Week 12 could open the door for Flacco to start. If Thompson-Robinson cannot play, the Browns and head coach Kevin Stefanski have indicated that Flacco will likely take over as the starting quarterback.
Flacco, who won a Super Bowl with the Baltimore Ravens in February 2013, hasn’t played yet in 2023. In 2022, he made four starts for the New York Jets and had one additional appearance.
In that stretch, Flacco completed 110 of 191 passes (57.6% completion rate) for 1,051 yards, five touchdowns, and three interceptions. He had a yards-per-attempt average of 5.5.
After leaving Baltimore following the 2018 season, Flacco has played for the Denver Broncos, Jets, and the Browns.
Latest Cleveland Browns odds
Futures odds after the Deshaun Watson injury
With Thompson-Robinson hurt, the Browns’ futures odds haven’t changed much. They’re 7-4 with -175 odds to make the postseason — the same odds two weeks ago when the Watson injury was announced.
- Super Bowl odds:
- AFC odds:
- AFC North odds:
Upcoming Cleveland Browns matchups
The next three matchups for the Browns consist of the Los Angeles Rams, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Chicago Bears. There’s one primetime game on Thursday, Dec. 28, at 8:15 pm ET against the New York Jets.
What does the future hold for the Browns?
Since taking over as the starter for the Browns, Thompson-Robinson has thrown for 294 yards and has one touchdown and one interception. In those games, the Browns are 1-1, with a loss to the Broncos and a win over the Steelers.
So far this season, the team has been defensively strong while utilizing the running game to be the main component on offense.
