NFL Rumors: Joe Flacco Eyes Browns Return in Free Agency amid Contract Talks

Scott Polacek@@ScottPolacekFeatured Columnist IVMarch 5, 2024

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Joe Flacco resurrected his career with the Cleveland Browns last season and reportedly doesn’t want to go anywhere.

According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, Flacco “loves playing” in Cleveland and would prefer to rejoin the Browns over signing elsewhere. He and the organization also met at the NFL Scouting Combine to discuss a potential re-signing.

Flacco is 39 years old with 16 years of NFL experience under his belt, but he looked to be in his prime at times for the Browns last season.

Cleveland first turned to Dorian Thompson-Robinson and P.J. Walker after Deshaun Watson suffered an injury that ended his 2023 campaign, but Flacco got his chance down the stretch. All he did was go 4-1 as a starter while completing 60.3 percent of his passes for 1,616 yards, 13 touchdowns and eight interceptions in five games.

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His efforts helped lead Cleveland into the playoffs, although things did not go well in a blowout 45-14 loss to the Houston Texans.

Flacco threw two pick-sixes in the third quarter as the Texans put the game away and removed any doubt about the outcome.

Still, the veteran looked like a different quarterback in Cleveland than he did during stops with the Denver Broncos and New York Jets from 2019 through 2022. He went a combined 3-14 as a starter during those seasons, which was quite a dropoff from when he was the franchise quarterback for the Baltimore Ravens during an 11-year run that included a Super Bowl title.

If he does return to Cleveland, he will surely be Watson’s backup.

However, there is something to be said about comfortability and familiarity, especially at this stage of his career. He found success with the Browns, was clearly effective in their offense and would have the chance to provide veteran leadership.

As for the team, it would know it had a reliable backup in place in case Watson suffered another setback.