Ex-Browns QB Joe Flacco finds a new home after agreeing to deal with Indianapolis Colts
It didn't take Joe Flacco long to get over whatever disappointment he may have had over being spurned by the Browns. The quarterback who went 4-1 in December to help the Browns reach the playoffs — earning the NFL Comeback Player of the Year Award — this past season reached a deal Wednesday evening with the Indianapolis Colts.
Flacco, 39, was thought by some to be one of the favorites to return to the Browns as the backup to what is expected to be a healthy Deshaun Watson. However, the Browns elected to reach an agreement with Jameis Winston, who spent the past four seasons with the New Orleans Saints.
Flacco, per reports, received essentially the same one-year deal Winston received from the Browns. It’s a $4.5 million base worth up to $8.7 million with incentives.Prior to the start of free agency, Flacco had told SiriusXM NFL Radio that his first desire, if all things were equal, was to return to Cleveland.
“Yeah, listen, obviously if I go back to Cleveland, then I’ve wrapped my mind around that idea,” Flacco told SiriusXM NFL Radio. “Obviously, I want to play football. That’s also a really, really, really big factor — probably the biggest factor. But that’s what I’m saying. I don’t think you can really make that decision without any hard things laid in front of you. And you sit down with your family and you see what’s best.
"There’s all kinds of things I could take you through that would probably have a factor in my decision. We don’t need to go through all those right now. I can honestly say Cleveland is an unbelievable place and it definitely will hold special value when I make those decisions.”
With the Colts, Flacco will likely back up second-year pro Anthony Richardson. The No. 4 pick in last April's draft, Richardson saw his rookie year end with a mid-October shoulder surgery, having started just four games.
The Colts finished 9-8 with Gardner Minshew quarterbacking the team the other 11 games. Indianapolis missed out on a playoff berth when it lost in Week 17 to the Houston Texans.
Flacco's story has been well-told by this point. He did not sign with an NFL team during the 2023 offseason and did not get a workout until the Browns brought him in for one on Nov. 10 after Watson's injury. The former Super Bowl Most Valuable Player was originally signed to the practice squad on Nov. 20.
The 16-year pro took over the starting quarterback job in Week 13 against the Los Angeles Rams after Dorian Thompson-Robinson sustained a concussion the previous week. Flacco, after losing his Browns debut, won his next four starts, throwing for more than 300 yards in each to help Cleveland secure just its third playoff berth since 1999.
Flacco, who completed 60.3% of his passes for 1,616 yards with 13 touchdowns and eight interceptions in the regular season, struggled in the AFC wild card loss at the Houston Texans. Although he passed for 307 yards and a touchdown, he also threw two interceptions that were returned for touchdowns.
Chris Easterling can be reached at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Browns at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/browns. Follow him on X at @ceasterlingABJ
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Ex-Browns QB Flacco finds a new home after agreeing to deal with Colts
