3 Cleveland Browns who won’t be back in 2024 after playoff loss

The Cleveland Browns defied all odds, battling through Deshaun Watson's season-ending injury to make an unlikely run to the playoffs. The Browns posted an impressive 11-6 record thanks in large part to one of the best defenses in the league.

Unfortunately for Browns fans, that defense did not show up in the slightest in their playoff loss against the Houston Texans. C.J. Stroud lit them on fire, and the Texans were in complete control from start to finish to send Cleveland home.

The Browns getting to the playoffs after being forced to battle through adversity made their season a success, but this team wants to make a deep playoff run in 2024. They're going to attempt to do so without these three players who almost certainly will not be back.

3) Joe Flacco, QB

Joe Flacco's Cinderella run from sitting on his couch to leading Cleveland to an unlikely playoff berth is one Browns fans will remember for a long time. Interceptions were a huge issue for the 38-year-old, but the Browns offense looked dynamic for the most part with Flacco under center, and that was without their best player on offense, Nick Chubb.

Flacco threw for 1,616 yards in his five games and threw for over 300 in their playoff loss, albeit on a ton of attempts. The Browns scored 30+ points in three of his five regular season games after doing so just twice before Flacco took over. He certainly played well enough to stay, but Flacco playing well enough is exactly why he's going to get a job elsewhere.

As much as many Browns fans won't want this to be the case, Deshaun Watson is this team's quarterback. With Dorian Thompson-Robinson also under contract, the Browns don't have a reason to overpay Flacco to stay. Flacco will search for either a starting role on a team in need of a quarterback or a backup role behind a young quarterback.