Joe Flacco to start Browns' preseason finale; rookie QBs Dillon Gabriel, Shedeur Sanders also to play

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The Browns are testing their newly named starter in their preseason finale.

Joe Flacco will play in Cleveland’s final preseason game against the Los Angeles Rams on Saturday, coach Kevin Stefanski told reporters on Thursday. Rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders will follow Flacco in the quarterback rotation, Stefanski added.

Preseason Week 3 approaches vary by club, but even at the risk of injury, it seems Stefanski is seeking an additional opportunity to both prepare and test his starters in Saturday’s game, which airs live on NFL Network at 1 p.m. ET. The first string will play between 20 and 25 plays against the Rams, “depending on how the game flow goes,” Stefanski said.

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Flacco won the job earlier this week in a camp that saw three of their four options battle injuries. Only the 40-year-old Flacco made it to the end of the competition fully healthy, demonstrating the benefits of additional starting reps as the preseason progressed.

Sanders, Gabriel and offseason trade acquisition Kenny Pickett all dealt with ailments, with Pickett and Gabriel each working through hamstring issues while Sanders suffered an oblique injury that prevented him from building on his promising preseason debut in a win over Carolina.

With Sanders sidelined, Gabriel seized his opportunity in Cleveland’s Week 2 game, leading an impressive opening touchdown drive and compiling a solid performance that included just two major mistakes.

After Flacco works up a sweat with the starters, Sanders and Gabriel will both aim to continue their development against the Rams. Pickett’s future, meanwhile, may be determined shortly after the contest with the cutdown deadline looming.

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