“I Do Have a Lot to Bring”: Amid All the Shedeur Sanders Chatter, Joe Flacco Says He Doesn’t Want to be a Backup

Despite being more than a month into their offseason quarterback competition, it seems the Cleveland Browns are not even close to figuring out who is going to be their starter for Week 1 of the 2025 regular season.

Veteran Joe Flacco and former Pittsburgh Steeler, Kenny Pickett, were reported to be the front-runners heading into the first weekend of training camp. But a subsequent hamstring injury has since rendered Pickett inactive, leaving many to believe that Flacco is once again the lead horse in the race.

Flacco, a 17-year veteran, has been more than welcoming of the competition and presence of the Browns’ young QB group. But he has also been clear that he has no intentions of being a backup.

In his most recent interview on CBS Sports, Flacco has once again reminded both the press and the Browns’ front office of exactly why he’s in Cleveland. “I still feel like I do have a lot to bring, and I’m still doing this because I want to do that. I want to bring a lot to a football team,” he said.

“I want to win football games. I want to prove that I can still do it, and it’s very important to me. Like I said, I don’t want to be a backup. I haven’t wanted to do that for the last four or five years, or however long it’s been. I want to play football,” added Flacco.

The former Baltimore Raven has just a few more weeks to push his case. Minority owners have voiced their support of Flacco, and he has remained in the conversation the entire offseason.

But at the end of it all, Flacco will have to convince the coaching staff that his experience gives them the best odds of winning on Sundays. Meanwhile, Shedeur Sanders announced his presence in the camp.

Despite both Pickett and Flacco receiving those favorable reports throughout the weekend, it ultimately proved to be the former Colorado Buffalo who stood out on Day 7.

Day 5 of Browns training camp is a wrap. Here’s how all 3 QBs performed in team drills today.

Today was the first day in pads. pic.twitter.com/renmA8AdvU

— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) July 28, 2025

It may also be worth noting that Flacco saw the same amount of reps as Sanders. Meanwhile, the team’s 94th overall draft pick, Dillon Gabriel, seemed to be the primary beneficiary of Pickett’s absence by picking up those few extra reps. 

The Oklahoma product failed to make the most of the opportunity by finishing last in completions and going scoreless on the day. That makes us wonder whether Gabriel has left the back door open for Sanders to come in and snake the QB2 spot on the depth chart.

Should the 2024 Golden Arm winner manage to string a few more of these performances together, then he may finally be able to snag some more of those coveted first-team reps. By then, Sanders would find himself fully in control of his destiny.