Cleveland Browns 'sign Joe Flacco to their practice squad' with the team expected to 'promote the Super Bowl-winning quarterback to its active roster' after Deshaun Watson was ruled out for the season

The Cleveland Browns are signing quarterback Joe Flacco to their practice squad, according to reports. 

The Browns worked out the Super Bowl-winning signal caller Friday and are expected to promote him to the active roster, according to Adam Schefter and Field Yates. 

Cleveland has been looking to add another quarterback to its roster after Deshaun Watson was ruled out for the rest of the season with a fracture to his throwing shoulder. 

Flacco has an 18-3 career mark against the Browns, and last season he rallied the New York Jets to an improbable comeback win over them. He hasn´t been on any roster in 2023. But he has kept open the possibility of returning, and Cleveland has a pressing need.

The idea of adding him was met with approval from several Browns players earlier in the week.

'Joe´s a leader,' said wide receiver, who played two seasons with Flacco in New York. 'I feel like he has a lot of experience. He knows football, and how could you not want to lean on somebody who knows football? He played the game for a long time at a very, very high level, the highest level. MVP level. So major respect to him.'

Watson's injury has threatened to derail a promising season for the Browns (6-3), who won't have their franchise QB until 2024 at the earliest and need help now.

With Watson sidelined, the Browns started rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson on Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers (6-3) with P.J. Walker as his backup. 

Thompson-Robinson threw for 156 yards and just one interception in the Browns' narrow 13-10 win over the Steelers. 

Flacco was named Super Bowl MVP in 2013 after leading the Ravens to a 34-31 win over the San Francisco 49ers. He completed 22 of 33 passes for 287 yards and three touchdowns.

The 6-foot-6 QB has passed for 42,320 yards and gone 99-81 as a starter in 180 career NFL starts. Flacco played 11 seasons for the Ravens, three with the Jets and one in Denver.

Like Moore, Browns All-Pro defensive end Myles Garrett believes Flacco would be a major asset - as a player or simply to help Thompson-Robinson.

'Maturity and experience. Wisdom,' Garrett said when asked the value of adding a player like Flacco. 'As much as Deshaun has played, Flacco´s seen more. He´s been to the highest level. He can provide that little bit of a mentor role even if he doesn´t see the field being there and being a consistent leader.'