With salary cap issues and Deshaun Watson rupturing his Achilles again, the Cleveland Browns are in one of the worst positions in the NFL. While getting out of their current dilemma is nearly impossible, the Browns saw when they had Joe Flacco in 2023 that they might’ve just been a quarterback away from being a decent team.
Flacco played at a decent level for the Browns, and that’s all the team needed to make the playoffs. Fast forward to the following season, and Watson and many other players under center couldn’t get the job done, resulting in one of the most disappointing seasons in franchise history.
No matter what the Browns do this offseason, they have to bring in a quarterback. Watson will miss significant time due to his injury.
A reunion with Flacco could be something the Browns look to do. With familiarity with the roster and the cap situation, Flacco might be the best option if the Browns want a bridge guy.
Josh Shepardson of FantasyPros predicted the Browns would sign him this offseason, adding why he doesn’t believe Cleveland should draft a quarterback at No. 2.
“The Browns are in salary cap hell and Deshaun Watson ruptured his Achilles again while recovering from surgery for a torn Achilles. The Browns could pick a quarterback with the second pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. However, starting the clock on a rookie quarterback’s contract while in a disastrous cap situation would be front-office malpractice unless the organization believes one of the prospects is a game-changing franchise signal-caller.
“Instead, they could turn to a familiar face to bridge the gap while tidying up their cap situation. Flacco embraced variance in 2023 for the Browns, slinging the ball all over the gridiron,” Shepardson wrote on January 16.
Flacco Enjoyed His Time With the Browns
The Cleveland Browns not re-signing Flacco didn’t make much sense, but they needed Watson to be the guy and perhaps didn’t want there to be pressure on him to perform.
Instead, he was statistically one of the worst quarterbacks in the NFL, throwing for just 1,148 yards, five touchdowns, and three interceptions in seven games before going down with the injury.
Flacco played in five games for the Browns in 2023 and was better than Watson ever was, throwing for 1,616 yards, 13 touchdowns, and eight interceptions. The eight interceptions weren’t ideal, but the Browns were a much better team with him.
To make matters worse, he also told reporters after the Browns playoff loss in 2023 that he loved his time with the team, indicating that he might’ve been willing to return at that point.
“I think I was so fortunate to become a part of this team,” Flacco said, according to the team. “It’s a special group. And I know a lot of people can say that, but it really is. To be given a chance to do this with those guys, I’m super grateful for it.”
Browns Didn’t Offer Flacco a Contract
After Flacco impressed with the Cleveland Browns, he joined the Indianapolis Colts.
Similar to his time with the Browns, Flacco wasn’t great, but he did his job and was serviceable.
And despite Cleveland playing its best football with him on the roster, the front office didn’t give him another chance.
According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, the Browns didn’t even offer Flacco a contract to return.
“It definitely didn’t ring from Cleveland. He said they made him no offer to return for 2024,” Florio wrote on September 30.
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Browns Predicted to Replace Watson With Former Fan Favorite QB