NFL Rumors: Colts’ Joe Flacco ‘Fully Intends’ to Play 2025 Season, Won’t Retire

Andrew PetersJanuary 4, 2025

Luke Hales/Getty Images

Joe Flacco isn’t hanging it up just yet.

Per Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio “a source with knowledge of Flacco’s thinking” said the Indianapolis Colts quarterback “fully intends to play” next season.

Flacco, 39, will wrap up his 17th NFL season on Sunday when he starts against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Though he’s not the same quarterback that led the Baltimore Ravens to a Super Bowl in 2012, he’s put together a strong second act to his career.

Last season, he played five games with the Cleveland Browns and threw for 1,616 yards and 13 touchdowns. He won four of his five games as the starter and ultimately revived the Browns and led them to the playoffs.

Flacco hasn’t fared quite as well with his new team this season, throwing for 1,497 passing yards, 11 touchdowns and seven interceptions through seven games. The Colts benched young quarterback Anthony Richardson for Flacco but turned back to Richardson after just two games when Flacco couldn’t get things going.

Flacco put together one of his best games of the season last week though, throwing for 330 yards and a pair of touchdowns against the New York Giants.

Flacco signed a one-year deal with the Colts before the 2024 season and will return to free agency this offseason. Indianapolis might welcome Flacco back next season to back up Richardson, but if the Colts don’t sign him, many teams would likely be willing to bring in the veteran.

According to Florio, Flacco is willing to come off the bench as he did in Indianapolis, which would only help his chances of getting picked up in free agency.