Joe Flacco is closer to AARP than QB1.
At 40, on his fifth team, he is not interested in being a mentor. And this ties back locally to Shedeur Sanders.
Flacco is favored to start for the Cleveland Browns, where he went from the couch to the playoffs in 2023.
But this is Cleveland. Rhymes with dysfunction. So nothing about Flacco’s return smacks of a feel-good story. Not with three other quarterbacks on the depth chart — Kenny Pickett, Dillon Gabriel and Sanders — and a fourth hurt (Deshaun Watson) that the franchise never wants to take a snap again.
So, Flacco was asked this week about helping the kids. Since his last season in Baltimore and definitely in his first and only season in Denver in 2019, he has been in the #no(bleeps)given portion of his career.
He torched the Broncos in his last press conference, wondering aloud if the coaching staff was even interested in scoring on a final drive before losing to the Colts.
His candor remains refreshing. Especially about leading. He sees it as eyewash.
“If I say, ‘I don’t want to be a mentor,’ I look bad. If I say, ‘I do want to be a mentor,’ I look like an idiot who doesn’t care about being good,” Flacco said. “And in a quarterback room, there have been a ton of times where there have been learning experiences, and I have a lot of experience. I can talk on things. And hopefully, they listen. But it’s not necessarily my job to make sure they listen to me.”
Based on talent, Sanders should push to start by midseason. Pickett is a failed prospect, and when asked about Gabriel after he was selected in the third round, former Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum blurted, “He has a future in the NFL — as a coach.” But Sanders must overcome his fifth-round status and fewer reps.
There are no shortcuts. He needs to put in the work and put his head down when not learning from Flacco. Yes, watching Flacco can help. Pay attention to how he studies film, his pre- and post-practice routine. Take it all in. Even if there are minimal words involved.
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Rockie Road: The Rockies continue losing at a record pace and making decisions that make little sense. With their Triple-A shortstop Ryan Ritter posting back-to-back player of the week honors, they signed veteran Orlando Arcia to replace struggling prospect Adael Amador. They did the same thing when Ezequiel Tovar was hurt, adding Alan Trejo before cutting him when Tovar returned. Why not play Ritter at second? Or move Ryan McMahon to first, put Ritter at third and demote human windmill Michael Toglia to the minors? The Rockies want you to believe in their young players, But they have few who are any good, and when one pops, they elect not to give him a chance. Another reason their record defines their process.
Coach speak: David Adelman made a strong impression in his introductory news conference. He insists the players will continue to respond to his principles of collaboration and meritocracy when he reminds them of back-to-back second-round playoff exits. His explanation is believable, but the Nuggets have reached prove-it mode with an aging roster and suspicious bench.
Final thought: Watching the college baseball regionals rekindles frustration that CU doesn’t have a team. There are plenty of players in state, and, while the lack of funding is known, it remains hard to believe Utah has baseball and the Buffs don’t.
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