Amari Cooper Says Browns Signing Joe Flacco After Watson Injury Was ‘Phenomenal Idea’

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Cleveland Browns wide receiver Amari Cooper is a big fan of the team’s addition of veteran quarterback Joe Flacco.

Cooper told reporters Friday that Cleveland’s decision to sign Flacco in the wake of Deshaun Watson’s injury was a “phenomenal idea.”

Watson underwent season-ending surgery to repair a displaced fracture to the glenoid in his right shoulder on Tuesday and he is expected to make a full recovery ahead of the 2024 season.

The 28-year-old dealt with a shoulder ailment throughout the 2023 season and appeared in just six games before being ruled out for the remainder of the year. He completed 61.4 percent of his passes for 1,115 yards and seven touchdowns against four interceptions and also rushed for 142 yards and one score.

Cleveland went 5-1 with Watson as its starter.

The Browns signed Flacco to their practice squad on Monday and he’s behind rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson and P.J. Walker on the depth chart. While he might never see regular-season action for Cleveland this season, he figures to be a great resource for Thompson-Robinson as he navigates his rookie year.

Thompson-Robinson, a fifth-round pick in 2023, has appeared in three games for the Browns, making two starts. He has completed 55 percent of his passes for 295 yards and four interceptions, in addition to rushing for 44 yards.

Flacco hasn’t taken a single NFL snap this season, though he spent the 2020-22 campaigns with the New York Jets and also had a stint with the Denver Broncos in 2019. The 38-year-old is best known for his time with the Baltimore Ravens from 2008-18, leading the team to a Super Bowl title in 2013.

The Browns enter Sunday’s matchup against the Broncos second in the AFC North with a 7-3 record.