Joe Flacco trade grades: Cleveland Browns graded for trading veteran QB

The Cleveland Browns waved the white flag on their veteran quarterback, shipping Joe Flacco and a sixth-round draft pick to the Cincinnati Bengals for a fifth-rounder.

While the Bengals will hope that Flacco can get the ball to Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins until Joe Burrow is healthy enough to return from injury, the Browns are turning the page to the future.

And the Browns received a very positive grade for making this rare inner-division trade with the Bengals.

Sports Illustrated’s Gilberto Manzano gave this trade an “A” because the Browns general manager was able to get a draft pick for a player that was benched.

Cleveland’s offense was atrocious with Flacco at the helm. This caused the Browns to pivot to third-round rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel sooner than they would have liked. But Gabriel impressed in his debut, becoming the first quarterback to throw for two touchdowns against the Minnesota Vikings defense this season.

According to reports, the Browns are also expected to take a look at polarizing fifth-round pick Shedeur Sanders this season.

Trading Flacco was all about the youth movement in Cleveland. The trade paves the way for Sanders, Deshaun Watson or even practice squad quarterback Bailey Zappe to see the field this season. This is also a roster with some holes, so adding a day three pick won’t bother anybody, either.

“Cleveland, without admitting it, knows the playoffs aren’t in the cards this season. This team needed to find out what they have in Gabriel, the rookie third-round pick, who had a decent debut in the Week 5 loss against the Vikings in London,” Manzano said. “And if Gabriel ends up struggling in the coming weeks, well, that’s not so bad because they’ll then get a look at Sanders.”

The Bengals received a "D" grade for this trade, as they got desperate and traded for a player nearing retirement because of how bad Jake Browning has been.

While Browns fans are likely aggravated that their team is punting on another season, this trade should give them an extended look at both young quarterbacks. If Gabriel or Sanders pop, the Browns have two first-round picks that they can use to bolster their roster in other areas.

If neither Gabriel or Sanders move the needle, perhaps one final look at Watson could be in the cards. His 2026 contract is fully guaranteed, and Browns general manager Andrew Berry has proven that he’s not afraid of playing quarterbacks to flip them for draft picks.

Flacco’s magic officially ran out. The Browns were trying to win games when they named him the starting quarterback. Five weeks into the season, they have entered evaluation mode.