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Jake Trotter, ESPN Staff Writer
BEREA, Ohio — The Cleveland Browns have decided not to name a starting quarterback ahead of Sunday’s game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The Browns will start either veteran Joe Flacco or rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson, who is out of concussion protocol and practiced Friday.
Whoever starts might not have receiver Amari Cooper. He’s in the concussion protocol after getting hurt Sunday against the Rams.
Flacco started that game. Thompson-Robinson started the two games before that but was knocked out of the game against the Denver Broncos on Nov. 26 with the concussion.
“You don’t have to,” Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said, when asked why he wouldn’t name a starter.
In his season debut against the Rams, Flacco completed 23 of 44 passes for 254 yards. He also tossed a pair of touchdown passes, though did throw a costly interception in the fourth quarter in a 36-19 loss.
Flacco signed with the Browns on Nov. 20, following the season-ending right shoulder injury to quarterback Deshaun Watson. Flacco was the Super Bowl MVP with the champion Baltimore Ravens during the 2012 season.
“I think anytime you get a little taste of playing football,” Flacco said earlier in the week, when asked about continuing as the starter, “you want to keep that going for as long as possible.”
Thompson-Robinson has made three starts this season, going 1-2 in them. He did lead the Browns on a game-winning field goal drive in a 13-10 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Nov. 19.
The 7-5 Browns have started four quarterbacks — Watson, Thompson-Robinson, Flacco and PJ Walker — in a season for only the third time since at least 1950.