Getty Quarterback Joe Flacco of the Cleveland Browns attempts a pass against the Houston Texans during the second quarter at NRG Stadium on December 24, 2023 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)
Cleveland Browns quarterback Joe Flacco has authored one of the great comeback stories in the NFL this season, but he’s not planning on stopping after just the one chapter.
Flacco appeared on the “Pat McAfee Show” on Friday, December 29, and stated definitively that he intends to continue on in the league after this Browns’ playoff run ends.
“Even though I’ve made it clear I want to play, people still have the question of whether I want to still play,” Flacco said.
Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated reported Friday that the QB intends to play not only in 2024, but the following year as well.
“I’m told Flacco wants to play two more years in the league beyond this one,” Breer wrote.
Breer added that there were two other teams that showed legitimate interest in adding Flacco to their rosters before he landed in Cleveland. That knowledge — combined with four consecutive 300-yard games from Flacco and a four-game winning streak that resulted in the Browns clinching a playoff spot with a victory over the New York Jets on Thursday — indicates that the QB will find a place to play next year, even if that place isn’t Cleveland.
Deshaun Watson’s Status with Browns Obstacle to Bringing Back Joe Flacco
GettyCleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson.
While Flacco may or may not be back with the Browns next season, one thing is for certain — Deshaun Watson will be.
“It’s all in the doctor’s hands,” Watson said on December 23, per News 5 Cleveland. “Whenever they tell me that I can get out the sling, I’ll be out. Until then, I’m just going to follow every [rule] and every precaution they want me to follow.”
Watson underwent shoulder surgery in November after nagging issues in the joint plagued him for much of the season. His departure, and the subsequent injuries suffered by rookie QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson, cleared the way for Flacco to elevate to the starting job.
The calls for Cleveland to replace Watson with Flacco on a permanent basis have grown louder and more pervasive among the media and the Dawg Pound with each passing week. The problem, however, is that Watson has three years remaining on a fully-guaranteed $230 million contract.
The money the Browns owe Watson seriously complicates Flacco’s return, not only because it incentivizes Cleveland’s leadership team to start the player it mortgaged its future to sign, but also because Flacco has earned himself considerably more than the $2.5 million he signed to join the team late this season on a one-year contract.
Beyond that, Flacco’s stated goal is to play two more seasons, and he presumably is not interested in spending any more of that time on the bench than is absolutely necessary.
Browns Have Legitimate Super Bowl Aspirations Heading into Playoffs
GettyQuarterback Joe Flacco of the Cleveland Browns.
All of those factors add up to a reunion in 2024 between Flacco and the Browns being unlikely — but it isn’t impossible. In fact, if Cleveland wins the Super Bowl, Flacco’s return may be inevitable.
The Browns have the No. 1 rated defense in terms of yardage allowed per game, and it’s not terribly close. Flacco has been among the league’s best quarterbacks over the past four weeks, which would probably be true even if injuries hadn’t plagued the position all season. But they have, which affords the Browns even more of an advantage because their signal-caller is gunslinging and entirely healthy with just five games of tread on his 2023 tires.
Former NFL players and current sports personalities are taking notice and letting football fans know that Cleveland is a team to watch heading into the postseason.
This Cleveland Browns team reminds me of the 2017 Super Bowl, Philadelphia Eagles team.
The Browns are resilient and legitimately dogs. #DawgPound
“This Cleveland Browns team reminds me of the 2017 Super Bowl, Philadelphia Eagles team,” Emmanuel Acho posted to X Friday. “The Browns are resilient and legitimately dogs.”
Cleveland also has the advantage of knowing it is in the playoffs with a week to play. The Browns can still win the AFC North Division, but one more victory by the Baltimore Ravens over the final two weeks will cement Cleveland as a wildcard team.
Playing a road game as a wildcard in the opening round of the postseason is the overwhelmingly likely outcome for the Browns, which will allow them to protect Flacco by keeping him on the sideline in Week 18 against the Cincinnati Bengals. It will also afford the team the luxury of letting wide receivers Amari Cooper and Elijah Moore continue to rehabilitate as they deal with a heel injury and concussion symptoms, respectively.