Joe Flacco's Time As A Cleveland Brown Has Come to an End
The writing was on the wall already, but one Wednesday it became official, Joe Flacco's time in Cleveland has come to an end.
The 16-year veteran is signing a one-year deal with the Indianapolis Colts, reports say. Flacco is scheduled to make $4.5 million in 2024 with a chance to earn $8.7 million total if he reaches certain incentives in the contract.
The Super Bowl XLVII MVP joins a young Colts team as a backup, ready to mentor 2023 No. 4 overall pick Anthony Richardson next season. The young phenom missed the majority of his rookie campaign after suffering an injury to his throwing shoulder.
The former Ravens signal caller quickly became a hero in Cleveland this past season, over the course of only six weeks. Ravaged by injuries, particularly at the QB position, the Browns were desperate for some stability at the position and found it in the 39-year-old. Taking over under center in Week 12, Flacco went 4-1 down the stretch of the season and helped the Browns earn their first playoff berth since 2020.
In his first start for the Browns, Facco came came out firing on the road against Los Angeles. He engineered a near-perfect 75-yard touchdown drive to open up the game and instantly had fans believing special things were ahead.
Dec 10, 2023; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Joe Flacco (15) and tight end David Njoku (85) celebrate after Flacco threw a touchdown to Njoku during the first quarter against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Cleveland Browns Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
Despite falling short against the Rams, Flacco went on to lead a four-game win streak in the weeks that followed, concluding with a memorable Thursday night win over the Jets that clinched Cleveland a spot in the postseason. The passing offensive in particular seemed to thrive under Flacco, who finished the regular season with 1,616 yards, 13 touchdowns and eight interceptions.
Unfortunately, the magical run came to an end in Houston on Wild Card Weekend, when the Browns' luck seemed to run out in a 45-14 loss. Still, the unforgettable run was memorialized with Flacco earning Comeback Player of the Year at the NFL Honors last month.
That paved the way for Flacco to test the free agent market in search of a starting job, while also weighing a return to Cleveland. While a starting opportunity never materialized, Flacco also never even received an offer from the Browns. That paved the way for him to sign on with Indianapolis as a backup to a promising young QB in Richardson.
Flacco's time in Cleveland will go down as a small blip on the radar but the memories he leaves behind won't soon be forgotten by the Browns faithful.
