When the Cleveland Browns take the field today for their preseason finale against the Los Angeles Rams, Joe Flacco will be under center.

The 40-year-old quarterback will get his first action since returning to the Browns over the offseason. But Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski named the veteran the Week 1 starter, and today’s game will be a dress rehearsal before the 2025 NFL season begins in a couple weeks.

Cleveland’s quarterback room has been the headline not just locally, but nationally as well with the drafting of rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders. And while the Browns vacant QB spot has been the bane of fans since Bernie Kosar was replaced with Vinny Testaverde in 1994, the debates were a hot topic over the summer.

But the “old” man got the nod to start the season, and honestly, it was the right move.

Some thought the Browns were going to give Kenney Pickett, Flacco, Sanders and Gabriel an equal shot at winning the starting job, but it always appeared to be between Pickett and Flacco, the two veterans on the roster.

Pickett was acquired after the Browns traded backup quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson and a draft pick to the Philadelphia Eagles early in the offseason. Pickett came to Cleveland with a short stint as the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback from 2022-23, but he suffered a hamstring injury the fourth day of training camp and hasn’t been a full participant the majority of camp.

Flacco, meanwhile, has been in the league since the Baltimore Ravens drafted him in 2008. He won a Super Bowl with the Ravens at the conclusion of the 2012 season, and he directed the Browns to the playoffs in 2023.

Flacco has a wealth of knowledge and experience that Gabriel and Sanders lack as rookies. Both rookies performed well in the preseason in their own ways.

Sanders showed his ability to work off schedule and create plays against the Carolina Panthers in Week 1, although he should have been intercepted when he was late over the middle, but the pass was dropped by the defender. Meanwhile, Gabriel was accurate and stayed within the offense’s structure in Week 2 against the Philadelphia Eagles. However, Gabriel did throw an ill-advised interception and botched a handoff, which soured his solid performance.

Both rookies are not ready to start in the NFL, regardless of the opinions of fans of either first-year signal-caller. And with Pickett missing so much time in camp, Flacco was the obvious choice to start against the Cincinnati Bengals.

The Browns have a very challenging schedule to start the season.

Cleveland’s first six weeks feature six playoff-caliber teams. They host the Bengals to open the season before going on the road to Baltimore, then home again for the Green Bay Packers, followed by a visit to the Detroit Lions, travel to London to take on the Minnesota Vikings before going to Pittsburgh to face the rival Steelers.

The schedule lightens up with a trip to Miami to face the Dolphins before back-to-back home games against the New England Patriots and New York Jets.

With the challenging matchups to open the season, it would do the rookies good to sit behind Flacco and let the veteran navigate the choppy waters.

If the Browns want to make a quarterback change and let one of the first-years get a shot, it probably won’t be until that trip to Miami in Week 7.

Who knows if the Browns have a quarterback of the future on this year’s roster. But after a 2024 filled with terrible quarterback play, it will be nice to see a veteran that at least knows what he’s doing under center when the season kicks off on Sept. 7.