The Browns had no plans to send Joe Flacco elsewhere at the beginning of the week when they returned home from playing in London.
But then a division rival called, and that changed their plans.
On Tuesday, the Browns traded Flacco to the Bengals, setting him up to be Cincinnati’s starter until Joe Burrow’s return later this season.
In his Wednesday press conference, head coach Kevin Stefanski told reporters that the trade happened “very fast.”
“First [thing] I’d tell you is the Joe trade took us by surprise,” Stefanski said, noting the Bengals called the Browns. “That was not something that we saw coming.”
So why trade Flacco then, particularly to a team in the division?
“Obviously, AB makes those decisions,” Stefanski said, referring to G.M. Andrew Berry. “I trust AB. We talk about every decision we make. They wanted Joe. They made the phone call. Obviously, it gives Joe an opportunity to go play again. But, I trust in our decisions.
“[W]e talk through all those things. I would let Andrew speak to that. I don’t want to speak for him. But I trust in his decisions.”
Flacco did not play well through the first four weeks of the season, completing 58.1 percent of his passes for 815 yards with two touchdowns and six interceptions. He also lost a pair of fumbles. But the Browns will likely always have fond memories of Flacco from 2023, when he helped lead the club to the postseason and won AP comeback player of the year.
“Joe and I had a lot of conversations, I’ll keep those private,” Stefanski said. “Obviously, he’s somebody that we, in this building, think very highly of — think highly of the person, think highly of the player.
“Disappointed in where we are as a team, of course. But hopeful for him. But really, our focus turns to what’s in front of us, which is Steelers week.”