Joe Flacco is returning to where he had a career resurgence. The Cleveland Browns are re-signing the veteran quarterback to a one-year $4 million deal for the upcoming 2025 season after he spent 2024 with the Indianapolis Colts.
Flacco's first stint with Cleveland occurred in 2023, a season where he helped the Browns reach the playoffs after making five regular season starts with the team. During that time, Flacco went 4-1 as the team’s starter and even started in the Wild Card round against the Houston Texans.
In those five starts, Flacco threw 13 touchdowns to only eight interceptions along with 1,616 passing yards and had a QB rating of 90.2. Flacco's efforts earned him the comeback player of the year award for the 2023 season.
Despite losing in the first round, it was a nice reminder of how good of a quarterback Flacco once was in his prime. During that time in 2023, Flacco wasn’t on an NFL roster by the time the regular season started.
He wasn’t signed to Cleveland until November 2023 as a member of their practice squad. He was elevated to the main roster after a season-ending injury to starter Deshaun Watson and was eventually named the starter after Dorian Thompson-Robinson went down with an injury.
Flacco then took that 2023 Cleveland Browns team all the way to the playoffs despite the litany of injuries that team suffered throughout the regular season.
Flacco’s 2023 stint with Cleveland was a nice reminder of what he once was during his prime with the Baltimore Ravens. Everyone seems to forget that Flacco is a former Super Bowl winner and Super Bowl MVP to boot.
Flacco was the starting quarterback for the Ravens from 2008 to the middle of 2018 where he was eventually replaced by Lamar Jackson. During his 10 years with Baltimore, he led them to the playoffs six times and was able to win the big game in 2012.
While he was never named to a pro bowl, Flacco was known to have the strongest arm in the league and was an exceptional playoff performer. Flacco won at least one playoff game from 2008-2012 and accomplished that feat once again in 2014.
While Ravens fans sing the praises of Jackson and the Ravens of today, they’ll never forget the efforts of Flacco and that 2012 Super Bowl winning team that included Ray Lewis, Ed Reed and Jacoby Jones.
After leaving the Ravens, Flacco bounced around from team-to-team until his arrival in Cleveland in 2023. He played for the Denver Broncos, New York Jets, Philadelphia Eagles and the Jets once again.
Flacco returns to the Browns in 2025 after his one-year stint in Indianapolis. He returns under the same circumstances as Watson is once again down with another injury. The player in the Browns’ QB room is recently acquired Kenny Pickett.
Flacco and Pickett will duel it out for the starting quarterback position for the 2025 regular season as the old veteran has a chance to run it back for Cleveland in the upcoming season.
LATEST
- NEWS
- |
- ARTICLES
- |
- VIDEOS
FAN ARCH PODCAST NETWORK
