PHILADELPHIA — Day 1 of one of the most important two-day stretches in the Browns’ preseason has arrived.
Cleveland conducts the first of two joint practices with the Philadelphia Eagles Aug. 13. They’re slated to be on the field at 10 a.m., with coach Kevin Stefanski scheduled to speak before practice at 9:30 a.m. and select players afterwards.
The two joint practices against the Eagles, who won the Super Bowl last season, will mark the most significant reps against another team the Browns’ No. 1 offense and defense will get during the preseason. Most didn’t play in the preseason opener at the Carolina Panthers, although they did work during a joint practice two days earlier there as well.
Follow along here for updates from the practice, as well as news on any injuries, roster moves or whatever else may develop during the course of the day in Philadelphia:
Joe Flacco shrugs off drop passes by Browns in 1st joint practice against Eagles
There were plenty of reasons why the Browns’ first joint practice with the Eagles was not a particularly pleasant one for the offense. With a mix-and-match approach to the offensive line, by design, it created a struggle against a Philadelphia defensive front seven that is aggressive and fast.
The Browns’ quarterbacks, however, weren’t helped by several drops that took away potentially positive plays. Those weren’t limited to one wide receiver, either.
Flacco didn’t seem particularly concerned about the drops, at least in the moment.
“I guess so,” Flacco said when asked if it was more drops than normal. “I guess I can think of a couple of on top of my head. Listen, I think when you’re out there competing, you want to speed it up a little bit. That’s the natural thing. So, being in these environments and learning how to still go out and play within yourself is a learning experience.
“I thought today was a good day for it, not necessarily from that, but now that I think about it, that also. But the amount of reps we got today against a good football team, it was a good test for us today. It was a lot of good work.”
Joe Flacco compares intensity from Carolina joint practice to 1st with Philadelphia
A week ago, Aug. 6, the Browns conducted a 90-minute joint practice with the Carolina Panthers. A week later, they held the first of two joint practices with the Eagles, this one going just under two hours.
So, in the eyes of quarterback Joe Flacco, what was the difference?
“No, it was a little bit of a different practice setup,” Flacco said. “So, it goes a certain way a little bit like that. I think last week, we came out and did a couple of seven on sevens and a couple teams (periods), and it was kind of like, all right, boom, boom, boom. This week, we came out and had a pretty traditional training camp practice where we’re able to grind through stuff a little bit, and anytime you have those practices where you’re running 80 plays, you’re going to have some ugly and you’re going to have some good. That’s why it’s about the competition, and it’s about finding out a little bit about what we are.”
Jalen Hurts’ established status a benefit for Eagles compared to Browns’ QB question
This is going to be a shocker, but knowing who your starting quarterback is makes a huge difference in the NFL. You could tell in the first of two joint practices between the Eagles and the Browns.
Jalen Hurts is the unquestions QB1 for Philadelphia, which means a training camp that starts with the plan to get he and the rest of the offense ready for the season together. The Browns, meanwhile, seem likely to sooner rather than later name Joe Flacco the starter, but have gone through the first four weeks of training camp with him part of what has been called a four-way competition.
Flacco said that showed in the way the Eagles were putting much more of their reps in the practice on Hurts. The only other quarterback besides him to get any substantial reps for Philadelphia was Tanner McKee.
“Yeah, that’s big,” Flacco said after practice. “It’s obviously advantageous to have a guy back there 90% of the time, and you get going with everybody. You get to hear the cadence, you get to see how he operates and see how he does through tough times and good times. That’s all great, but in this league, the situation isn’t always just laid out for you perfectly. You’ve got to be able to adapt, and there’s no excuses. Once it all starts, it’s about winning football games no matter what, and that’s the way I approach it.”
Browns waive WR Luke Floriea from injured reserve, with injury settlement possible
The Browns officially waived Luke Floriea from injured reserve. The Mentor native and Kent State product could work his way back to the practice squad later in the year depending on if an injury settlement is reached.
Floriea, one of the training camp highlights for the Browns, injured his hamstring in the preseason opener at the Carolina Panthers. He was waived with an injury designation Aug. 11, and cleared waivers the next day.
Shedeur Sanders oblique strain means ‘not likely’ in preseason game against Philadelphia
Shedeur Sanders officially has an oblique strain, which is what prevented him from competing in seven-on-seven and 11-on-11 drills on the first day of joint practices against the Eagles. He won’t practice on Day 2 against Philadelphia, and is unlikely to play in the preseason game Aug. 16.
Shedeur Sanders will start preseason game against Eagles if Dillon Gabriel and/or Kenny Pickett can go
Shedeur Sanders’ second NFL preseason start all depends on the health of other Browns quarterbacks. Coach Kevin Stefanski said that the rookie fifth-round pick would start Saturday afternoon against the Eagles, only if Gabriel and/or Pickett can’t play.
Joe Flacco to get most of the No. 1 reps against Philadelphia Eagles Aug. 13
Kevin Stefanski confirmed that, at least for the first of the two practices with the Eagles, it would be quarterback Joe Flacco getting a majority of the No. 1 reps. Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders are also available to do 11-on-11 drills.
Kenny Pickett continues to be limited to seven-on-seven by hamstring
Kenny Pickett’s return to Philadelphia will be limited by the hamstring injury that he’s been struggling with since July 26. It marks the sixth practice he’s only been a participant in, but he continues to only be allowed to do seven-on-seven drills along with individual work.
Pickett was acquired by the Browns in a trade with the Eagles, for whom he was the backup to Jalen Hurts last season.
Greg Newsome II remains limited in practice by shoulder injury
Cornerback Greg Newsome II will not be a full participant in either joint practice in Philadelphia. Newsome remains limited by a shoulder injury he sustained on Aug. 1.
WR Luke Floriea clears waivers, reverts to injured reserve list
Rookie wide receiver Luke Floriea cleared waivers on Aug. 12, per the NFL’s transaction wire. Since he was waived on Aug. 11 with an injury designation, that means he’ll revert back to the injured reserve list.
The Browns could reach an injury settlement with Floriea, which would allow for him to return after a certain period of time. If not, Floriea would be done for the season.
Floriea, the Mentor High School and Kent State University product, was a sentimental favorite in training camp because of his local ties. He had shown plenty of promise during the camp, until he sustained a serious hamstring injury in the preseason opener at Carolina.
Browns sign DE Titus Leo, waive WR Chase Cota
The Browns, prior to departing for Philadelphia on Aug. 12, signed defensive end Titus Leo. They waived wide receiver Chase Cota in a corresponding move.
The 6-foot-3, 250-pound Leo is officially in his second NFL season. Originally drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the sixth round in 2023 out of Wagner, he has appeared in four career games with the New England Patriots in 2025 with four tackles and one pass defensed.
Leo also spent time on the Tennessee Titans this offseason before being waived Aug. 5.
Cleveland Browns 2025 preseason games
Chris Easterling can be reached at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Browns at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/browns. Follow him on X at @ceasterlingABJ
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cleveland Browns vs. Philadelphia Eagles joint practices | Live updates from first day
Reporting by Chris Easterling, Akron Beacon Journal / Akron Beacon Journal
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