NFL
Joe Flacco open to Cleveland Browns return
Flacco said he would be comfortable returning to Cleveland for the 2024 season, but would prefer to go somewhere where he could play starting quarterback.
Quarterback Joe Flacco provided one of the most uplifting stories during the 2023 NFL season with the Cleveland Browns - picking up the Comeback Player of the Year award to prove it. Now, the 39-year-old veteran is a free agent and his future in the league has yet to be defined.
In an interview with SiriusXM NFL Radio, Flacco said he would feel comfortable returning to Cleveland for the 2024 season, but would prefer to go to a place where he could play as a starting quarterback. The QB played the last five games of the regular season, won four of them, and managed to take the team to the playoffs.
Flacco’s good times in Cleveland
“All things equal, Cleveland is definitely the place that I would feel the best about,” Flacco said. “Now, then you have to get into the world of is somebody actually going to give me a chance to play, and all the different things that go into that. But I can’t help but have a special feeling about Cleveland. Just because of the few weeks that I spent there and how great the city was. I don’t necessarily want that to be all of the decision, but I do think that it will factor into the decision, if I have a decision to make.”
However, the main drawback of staying in Cleveland is that Flacco would not be a starter with the Browns. The reason for that is because the AFC North franchise has a lot of money invested in Deshaun Watson. Watson was placed on season-ending injured reserve and underwent surgery after suffering a fracture to his throwing shoulder, but he is expected to be ready for the start of the 2024 season.
Flacco meanwhile had 1,616 yards with 13 touchdowns and eight interceptions after completing 60.3 percent of his throws during his time with the Browns. In the playoff match against the Houston Texans, the University of Delaware graduate completed 34 of 46 throws for 307 yards, one TD and two INTs. “Obviously if I go back to Cleveland, then I have to craft my mind around that idea [of playing behind Watson]. Obviously, I want to play football. That’s also a really, really, really big factor. Probably the biggest factor. I don’t think you can really make that decision without any hard things laid in front of you,” he concluded.