The Cleveland Browns entered the 2025 season with one of the most uncertain quarterback rooms in the NFL, featuring as many as five players competing for the starting job during training camp. Ultimately, the team leaned on experience, turning to 40-year-old Joe Flacco, the veteran who had led them to the playoffs in 2023.
Despite his previous success, Flacco struggled to find his rhythm early in the season. From the very first game, it was clear that his starting role might not last long. After four inconsistent performances, head coach Kevin Stefanski made the change many had anticipated, handing the reins to rookie Dillon Gabriel.
Breaking Down Joe Flacco’s 2025 Struggles That Led to His Benching
Through the first four weeks of the 2025 season, Flacco completed 93 of 160 passes for 815 yards, with just two touchdowns against six interceptions. His touchdown-to-interception ratio left plenty to be desired, and his 5.1 yards per attempt reflected an offense that struggled to generate big plays.
His -0.32 EPA per dropback is the lowest of any four-game starting QB in the NFL, and he’s reached the 60% completion mark just once in the first four games he’s started, ranking 34th in PFSN’s Quarterback Impact metric.
However, not all of Cleveland’s offensive issues can be pinned solely on Flacco. The Browns’ receiving corps has been inconsistent, plagued by untimely drops and miscommunications. In their narrow Week 1 loss, multiple drive-ending mistakes by pass-catchers proved costly, setting the tone for an offense that never fully clicked through the opening month of the season.
But Flacco wasn’t elevating the offense, either. His limited mobility restricted what the Browns could do schematically, and when Cleveland found itself in frequent third-and-long situations early in the season, opposing defenses took full advantage. With injuries weakening both tackle spots, pressure came quickly, and Flacco often had no escape route.
As the offense continued to regress under the veteran, Stefanski finally made the move many anticipated, turning to rookie Dillon Gabriel in Week 5. Gabriel had seen limited action the previous week, completing a handful of passes, but this would be his first true test as an NFL starter.
He showed flashes of promise in preseason outings against the Eagles and Rams, displaying quick reads, accurate throws, and enough athleticism to move outside the pocket and extend plays. While he doesn’t possess Flacco’s arm strength, his mobility brings a new dimension to Cleveland’s attack, something especially valuable behind a banged-up offensive line.
Nevertheless, Gabriel enters a difficult situation. As one of two rookie quarterbacks on the roster, and the less-hyped of the pair, he’ll face intense scrutiny from both fans and media. If he can’t produce results quickly, the calls for Shedeur Sanders to take the field will only grow louder, setting Cleveland up for another quarterback change.
