Getty Quarterback Joe Flacco of the Cleveland Browns.
Joe Flacco was huge for the Cleveland Browns across five games to end the regular season, but came up short in the NFL’s playoff opener on Saturday, January 13.
The quarterback resurrected his career as a replacement for the cast of backups who attempted to fill in for Deshaun Watson after a shoulder injury ended his 2023 campaign. Flacco’s laser arm, play-action proficiency and locker room leadership left him poised to potentially usurp Watson to start the 2024 season with a playoff victory or two.
Those aspirations, however, may now have taken a back seat to Watson’s looming $64 million cap number after the Browns came up well short of a win on Super Wild Card Weekend. Cleveland fell to the Houston Texans by a score of 45-14, while Flacco was responsible for pick-six interceptions on back-to-back drives in the second half that broke the Browns’ collective back.
Reporters asked Flacco following the game whether he’d like to return to Cleveland next year. The QB will be a free agent in March after signing a one-year, $2.5 million deal to finish the 2023 campaign with the Browns.
#Browns Joe Flacco on if he’d like to be back
“We’re dealing with so much right now just going through the emotions of this game and you know being so excited to be in this position and now to come up empty,” Flacco said, per Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. “So I think that’s where my head is — just kinda soak it all in and let this digest a little bit.”
Joe Flacco Makes Sense in Browns’ Locker Room, Either as Starter or Backup QB
GettyDefensive tackle Khalil Davis of the Houston Texans pressures quarterback Joe Flacco of the Cleveland Browns during an AFC Wildcard Playoff Game in January 2024.
Flacco finished Saturday evening 34-of-46 passing (66.7% completion rate) for 307 yards, 1 TD and 2 INTs. His performance was not all that atypical when compared to his five regular-season starts.
The quarterback completed 60.3% of his 204 passes during the year for 1,616, 13 TDs and 8 INTs, per Pro Football Reference. He threw multiple interceptions in two of his five starts, though finished the season with a 4-1 record. The difference Saturday was how much both interceptions cost Cleveland — namely 14 points and the last of any momentum on the Browns’ sideline.
Yet even despite the ugly way it ended, it is impossible to ignore the chemistry Flacco had with his teammates and the confidence he instilled in the locker room. Watson was a far cry from awful when he played this season, leading the team to a 5-1 record as a starter. That said, the aura of the team was different under Flacco, which is something for the organization to consider heading into next season.
The Browns must also consider how affordable Flacco is likely to be. Cleveland’s hands are tied when it comes to bringing Watson back in 2024 at his astronomical cap number, but serious questions exist as to both Watson’s health and the talent behind him on the roster, both of which argue for Flacco’s return next season.
Joe Flacco Thankful for ‘Special’ Playoff Run with Browns
GettyQuarterback Joe Flacco of the Cleveland Browns.
While Flacco avoided the question of his future after Saturday’s loss, the words he did speak about his run with the team indicate that Cleveland will be among the top contenders for his services in 2024 if the franchise is interested.
#Browns Joe Flacco: I was so fortunate to be part of this team. It’s special.
“I was so fortunate to be part of this team,” Flacco said, per Scott Petrak of Browns Zone. “It’s special.”
Flacco, a former Super Bowl MVP with the Baltimore Ravens, has said he wants to play two more seasons in the NFL. He turns 39 years old on Tuesday.