Joe Flacco gave 'ridiculous answer' on mentoring young Browns QBs, former teammate says

Joe Flacco is keeping it real.

The 40-year-old is, by far, the oldest of 5 quarterbacks connected the Cleveland Browns, 2 of whom are rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders.

However, helium was brutally honorable erstwhile helium was asked astir mentoring the younger quarterbacks successful the room, who see Deshaun Watson and Kenny Pickett.

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Jan 13, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Cleveland Browns backmost Joe Flacco (15) throws the shot during the 2nd 4th successful a 2024 AFC chaotic paper crippled astatine NRG Stadium. (Troy Taormina-USA Today Sports)

"If I say, ‘I don’t privation to beryllium a mentor,’ I look bad. If I say, ‘I bash privation to beryllium a mentor,’ I look similar an idiot that doesn’t attraction astir being bully and playing football, . . ." Flacco told reporters connected Thursday. "I thin to effort to beryllium honest. And I’ve said, ‘I’m not a mentor; I play football.’ And successful a backmost room… determination person been a ton of times wherever determination person been learning experiences, and I person a batch of experience. And I tin speech connected things. And, hopefully, they listen. But it’s not needfully my occupation to marque definite they perceive to me. Hopefully, you person a truly bully narration with the guys that are successful the room. And you people privation to bash that."

Cleveland Browns quarterbacks Kenny Pickett, left, Dillon Gabriel, center, and Joe Flacco lukewarm up during an NFL signifier astatine the Cleveland Browns grooming installation connected Wednesday, May 28, 2025, successful Berea, Ohio. (Jeff Lange / USA Today Network via Imagn Images)

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But it goes without saying that the long-term, and possibly adjacent the short-term, futures for the Browns bash not see Flacco - and 1 of his erstwhile Baltimore Ravens teammates took discourtesy astatine Flacco's comments.

"Mentoring a young subordinate is lone going to marque that subordinate better, which makes the squad better," Chris Canty Friday connected ESPN's "Unsportsmanlike." "You're lone arsenic beardown arsenic your weakest link. The full constituent of the workout is that everybody makes everyone better. That's wherefore you practice. You're making each different better. It's what you're expected to do. You bash that with the reps connected the signifier field, but you besides bash that by sharing points and notes successful the movie room."

"It's a ridiculous reply from Joe Flacco. There's nary warrant Joe Flacco is going to beryllium steadfast for 17 games, particularly astatine 40 years old."

Flacco is successful his 2nd stint with Cleveland, having played for them successful the 2023 season. He won the AP Comeback Player of the Year Award aft throwing for 1,616 yards and 13 touchdowns successful 5 games wherever helium went 4-1.

Cleveland Browns backmost Joe Flacco, left, chats with rookie Shedeur Sanders during an NFL signifier astatine the Cleveland Browns grooming installation connected Wednesday, May 28, 2025, successful Berea, Ohio. (Jeff Lange / USA Today Network via Imagn Images)

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Canty and Flacco spent 3 years unneurotic successful Baltimore, wherever the backmost spent his archetypal 11 NFL seasons. Canty's Baltimore stint came aft helium spent 4 years with some the Cowboys and Giants, the second of whom helium won a Super Bowl with.

The 2025 play volition beryllium Flacco's 18th.

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