The Cleveland Browns navigated a plethora of injury issues in 2023 and have decided not to risk QB Joe Flacco, the season’s savior, in Week 18 against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Head coach Kevin Stefanski officially announced on Wednesday, January 3, that Flacco will watch from the sideline Sunday while veteran Jeff Driskel gets a shot to cement his status as the Browns’ backup quarterback heading into the playoffs.
#Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said Jeff Driskel will start at QB
— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) January 3, 2024
“#Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said Jeff Driskel will start at QB,” Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com reported via X Wednesday afternoon.
The Browns are 11-5 and have already locked up a Wildcard berth. Cleveland can no longer win the AFC North after the Baltimore Ravens dismantled the Miami Dolphins last weekend, which means the Browns have nothing on the line in their season finale.
Even if Cleveland loses and the Buffalo Bills win, but don’t surpass the Dolphins for the AFC East title, the Browns can not fall out of the top wildcard slot as the No. 5 seed. As such, there is no reason to risk the health of Flacco or any other potentially meaningful contributor to the team’s looming playoff run.
Meanwhile, the lack of stakes offer Cleveland a chance to see what it has in Driskel who gets the start Sunday over third-string quarterback PJ Walker. Walker will serve as Driskel’s backup in Cincinnati.
Browns QB Jeff Driskel Has Started Games for 4 NFL Teams
The Browns plucked Driskel from the Arizona Cardinals‘ practice squad at the end of last week to round out a quarterback room that traded away Josh Dobbs ahead of the season opener then lost starter Deshaun Watson and fifth-round rookie backup Dorian Thompson-Robinson to season-ending injuries.
Driskel has 10 starts to his name, the first coming as a member of the Bengals back in 2018. It was in Cincinnati that Driskel (1-9) earned his only win as an NFL starter. He has also started games for the Detroit Lions, Denver Broncos and Houston Texans. The San Francisco 49ers selected Driskel in the sixth round of the 2016 draft out of Louisiana Tech, though he never logged a regular-season snap in the Bay Area.
Driskel, now 30 years old, has completed 59.2% of his 365 career pass attempts for 2,228 yards, 14 TDs and 8 INTs, per Pro Football Reference (PFR). He has also recorded 384 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns on the ground.
Browns QB PJ Walker Has Struggled with Turnovers this Season
Walker has been in and out of the Browns organization this season, though he picked up experience with the current roster as a two-game starter who also played significant snaps in two other contests.
The Browns are 1-1 with Walker as the starter and 3-1 in games that he has taken at least 13 snaps. However, despite a bright spot here and there, Walker has struggled to protect the football in Cleveland this season.
The QB has thrown 5 interceptions compared to 1 touchdown and has also fumbled the football 4 times, according to PFR. The Browns offense will be in legitimate trouble if it is forced to turn to a backup at any point during the playoffs, though the hope is that Driskel can establish himself as a better caretaker of the football against the Bengals in Week 18 than Walker has been throughout his time in the lineup over the past season.
