Head Coach Kevin Stefanski (8.19.25)
Can you address your decision to name Joe (Flacco) your starter?
“Yeah. You know, all along, been evaluating our guys, and I thought Joe has performed really well in camp and going back to the off-season program. I thought he’s done exactly what we’ve asked him to do, and I think we have a lot of confidence in him.”
Will he be the starter until further notice, for the season, or day-to-day, week-to-week?
“Obviously, as you know Tony (Grossi), I don’t get into those types of things right now. I have a ton of faith in Joe (Flacco), have confidence in Joe. I’m excited for him. His teammates know what he’s about. He’s a hard worker.”
How will the rest of the QB room shake out in terms of the depth chart?
“Not so concerned about depth chart, honestly. I really like our guys. They continue to work very hard, all of them. As you make decisions like this, you talk to the guys, and you let them in on your thought process. But all of them should consider themselves, get ready as a starter. That’s how you have to handle being a backup in this league.”
So, you’d say it’s still, I wouldn’t say an open competition, but in terms of deciding how it all shakes out, guys are still competing for those roles?
“Yeah. We talked long ago with every player on the team that these roles are not given out, they’re earned, and that’s something that will always be true at any position. I will tell you I’m very, very pleased with that group and how hard they’re working.”
But you’re not going to say who’s number two for week one right now?
“I am not.”
Along those lines, what’s the latest with Kenny (Pickett) and his participation in practice?
“He’s going to do some limited work today, which is great. He continues to progress nicely.”
Is it safe to say that Joe earned this job, and it wasn’t by default because some of the other guys went down with injuries?
“Yeah, he earned it. And I understand with the injuries, how that may look, that’s really not the case here. Joe performed really well, both in practice, in the joint practices, in the meeting room, you name it…in the walkthrough. What he’s able to bring to the football team, he’s earned that role.”
Kevin, when you say Kenny is going to be limited in a limited role, is he going to get 11 on 11 (reps)?
“He’ll get some 11-on-11, yes.”
And what about Shedeur (Sanders)?
“Going to do a little bit less today, give him a break and see how it responds and then see how he’s feeling for tomorrow.”
Kevin, what can Isaiah Bond do to help your offense?
“Yeah, I think like any player that comes in, we need to get him up to speed, Jeff (Schudel), and see where he fits and those types of things. But certainly, he’s got the right attitude, and we’ll know more over the next couple of days.”
Joe is saying one of the challenges of him making it this long is battling boredom sometimes. He’s been through so many different training camps. How do you keep a guy who’s seen so much, engaged?
“Yeah, I was around (Brett) Favre when he was 40 years old, and Brett used to call those meetings, beatings. So, yeah, I think Joe’s got the right attitude. There’s a lot of minutiae that goes into football. There’s a lot of meetings that aren’t so fun, and they’re typically very early in the morning, so you’d better bring your cup of coffee with you. But Joe does a really nice job of not getting bored and making sure that he’s on point with all of the line calls, whether it’s protection or run game.”
On the flip side, when bullets fly, when you guys start playing, how can it help you guys to have somebody who has seen so many different looks throughout his career? “Yeah, obviously there’s value in experience, and that’s something that Joe has a ton of. Experience as a starter, as a backup, in different systems, going against different schemes. So, he’ll certainly lean on that experience and we will as well.”
Joe understands the long-term quarterback situation here better than anybody. Not a knock on the young guys and Kenny (Pickett) was obviously hurting, but how important is it to have the season start with a quarterback that the guys believe in? That they know gives them the best chance to win?
“Honestly, Tom (Withers), I do think the guys believe in Joe, but I want to give credit to that entire group. I think those guys are working very, very hard. We have a standard for that position, regardless of who’s in there, practice, games, how we operate, what we believe in. We have a very, very high standard. Obviously, Joe, having done it at a high level, has done it here as well. That lends itself to confidence in himself and confidence from his teammates.”
Joe said he expects to play. Do you know how long your starters will play in the Rams game?
“Let me get through the next couple of days. I’ll talk to you guys on whatever day that is, Thursday. Our Friday, Tony (Grossi).”
I know you guys have talked about being happy with the rookies and how they’ve progressed. So, with Joe being named the starter, what’s important for them now going forward?
“Yeah, rookie development never ends, and player development never ends. I’ve told you guys before, we’re obsessive about that, especially at the quarterback position, but at all positions. So, those guys will constantly be working and constantly be taking advantage of all the resources in this building. You know, going back to the original point with Joe, they’re in every meeting and they need to prepare to start. That’s what you have to do as a backup, certainly backup quarterback, backup anything. You have to stay ready, so you don’t have to get ready.”
Kevin, when you go through something like you went through in ’23, when you had Deshaun and then DTR (Dorian Thompson-Robinson), a rookie as a backup, how much of what you went through there color your decision on Kenny (Pickett)? A veteran backup compared to a guy like Dillon (Gabriel) or Shedeur (Sanders)?
“I would tell you every year is different. Every player is different. So, we’ll make decisions on those types of things when appropriate. But every year’s different.”
Kevin, what’s the message with Isaiah coming in now at this point of camp, and coming in with what he had to go through this offseason before getting here, what do you tell him as he walks in the door as far as what you expect of him and what you need to see?
“Yeah, I think with any young player, as you add them to your team, it’s the same conversation, Daryl (Ruiter), that happened for a lot of guys back in April. But it’s about earning a role. It’s about earning the trust of your teammates and your coaches, and he understands that and is ready to get going.”
What has Tommy Rees shared with you about Isaiah Bond?
“Yeah, as you can imagine, Mary Kay (Cabot), I won’t get into too much specifics, but we, with any player, we want to make sure we talk to everybody we can and find out about the person as much as the football player, and obviously Tommy was together with Isaiah down there in Alabama.”
It seems like you’ve run more end arounds and jet sweeps this camp and the preseason. Would you agree with that, or think it’s the same as it has been?
“I would assume it’s the same as it’s been. Yeah, I would.”
Coach, you were asked about the possibility of keeping four quarterbacks on this roster, and you said that you’d love to keep everyone, but it’s just not realistic. Do you guys still eyeing to plan on that?
“When I said that, I meant for I’d like to keep 90 guys in the roster. I don’t think that’s possible nor realistic. When it comes to every position, everything’s up for determination over the next couple days.”
So, it is still realistic that you keep four quarterbacks?
“Everything’s realistic other than keeping 90 on the final roster. Roger (Goodell) won’t allow that.”
Bond’s speed is well advertised. What does that mean for your offense when he gets up to speed?
“No pun intended (joking). Yeah, been around guys with world class speed before. You know, I can still remember Coach (Mike) Zimmer talking about it with defensive backs. Defensive backs respond to speed. When they have a guy across them that can run by them, they respond to it. So, we as coaches want to utilize the speed of a player, whether he’s a receiver, tight end, you name it. We want to utilize that to our advantage and put that player in a position where he can run by defenders, give them the threat of running by defenders. So, that’s something that we have to do a really good job of utilizing in this offense.”
Kevin, you guys were really excited about Kenny Pickett, talking him up a lot at the owners’ meetings and whatnot. He had a really nice first four days. Would you say it’s accurate to say that he had a very legitimate chance to come in here and try to win this (quarterback competition)?
“Yeah, I’m still excited about Kenny the player, the person. I’ve been around him now, Mary Kay, for many months and I know what he’s about. I know how he was performing. The injury was unfortunate, but it hasn’t stopped him from being engaged. It hasn’t stopped him from knowing exactly what’s going on a day-to-day basis. He’s getting as much work as he can right now, but he has performed really, really well.”
Kevin, going back to the development part, how beneficial is it for the young guys, Dillon and Shedeur, to be able to start the season and go into it with a guy like Joe Flacco, who’s obviously done this for a while and has the mindset of leading by example rather than just being that ‘vocal guy’?
“I think it’s an interesting question. We talk a lot about leadership, and then there’s followership, and it’s our job as coaches, sometimes our job as players, to be good followers and be able to listen and take in how someone is setting the example. Maybe not by like you said, Cam (Justice), maybe not being very vocal. So, whether it’s Joe or anybody else, it’s our job, certainly as players, and young guys especially, to be really good watchers, really good listeners, and observe as we start this career for these young players.”
Is it possible your active number two quarterback will change from week to week, or would you like to avoid that?
“Yeah, I can’t get into too many hypotheticals. Sorry.”
Coach, through two games, the defense has allowed 16 points, allowed only 88 yards to the Eagles. What have you liked from them in practice, in these games and from the depth that you guys have?
“Really pleased with our defense’s performance in practice and the games. But in the games, I think you see our personality. I think you see the speed to the ball. I think you see guys playing hard, playing physical. Coach (Jim) Schwartz and the defensive staff do a great job of coaching that out of our players. It’s natural in most of our players, but there’s a style to which we play, and I think it’s been on display the last couple of weeks.”
And then two takeaways that you guys have had. How do you translate getting those takeaways into the regular season?
“Yeah, three takeaways, if you count Bookie’s (Nathaniel Watson) on special teams, and then we had one negated, unfortunately by a penalty. But those are huge. It’s a point of emphasis for our football team. It’s something that will work on today and really every day.”
Kevin, I know Cornelius (Lucas) left the game with the ankle injury. I wasn’t sure if you’d followed up on that with his situation. I was also going to ask about Greg (Newsome II) and what he’s doing today?
“Yeah, no update on Luke. He’s rehabbing. He’s not out here today. Greg continues to get better and better. He’ll be out here at practice in a limited role.”
Kevin, you mentioned far before, Joe will now be on a short list of guys in their 40s that have started in this league. I mean, what kind of accomplishment is that?
“Yeah, it’s incredible. You know, I think Coach Schwartz again does a great job of recognizing with the defensive guys that make it to double digits, when you make it to 10 years and that doesn’t happen by accident. Then when you talk about, at the quarterback position, the battles that those guys go through every day, the battles that they go through certainly on Sundays with people, trying to come after them in every direction. So, I admire all our players and what they put their bodies through. But the guys that can get double digit seasons in this league, it’s really remarkable.”
Kevin, the runway to August 26th (final roster cuts) is getting shorter and shorter here. What do you tell those guys that are fighting for those back-end roster spots, even for a shot at the practice squad there? What do you tell those guys this time of year, not only from a confidence standpoint or an engagement standpoint, but just in general?
“I think the point there, Daryl, is you earn roles like we talked about before. These guys have done a really, really good job. They’re going to make some tough decisions. We’re making decisions based on the entirety of their evaluation, the entirety of what they’ve done to date. So, you don’t want to quote, unquote, press for young players. You want to just keep continuing to do what you’ve been doing on a day-to-day basis.”
When you went back and watched the film of Dillon (Gabriel) and didn’t have those giveaways in your head so prominently, did you feel maybe better just about his operation of the whole thing? Could you have been any happier with your two rookies in their two starts?
“Well, I think again, we’re pleased with the progress of our young players. You know, Dillon and Shedeur are going to make plays in games, and then we want to teach off the plays that aren’t exactly how we want them. So, with young players at the quarterback position or otherwise, you’re going to make mistakes, you’re going to have the wrong read, you’re going to have the wrong footwork or whatever it is. Then it’s our job as coaches to get those corrected. So, I’m really pleased with where those guys are and understand that they will continue to get better.”
Joe said that you brought all the quarterbacks into the room to tell him that he’s going to be the starter. How do you feel like that went?
“I thought I was pretty good, but not sure.”
Kevin, just going back to Isaiah, obviously, when you add a player like that in his (legal) situation, how involved are you getting to know him, and how comfortable are you with the process that Andrew and his staff went through?
“Yeah, I think Andrew and his staff, I think he’s mentioned this to you before. These are things that, we do our due diligence. We don’t rush any of those types of things. Then for me, he was a player that we did a lot of work on and off the field. Met with him at the combine, met with him here. So, somebody that we felt like we had a lot of information on.”
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