After starting running back Nick Chubb suffered a knee injury in Week Two that ended his season, and starting quarterback Deshaun Watson started just six games before being sidelined for the remainder of the campaign due to a shoulder injury in mid-November, the Cleveland Browns had a very interesting 2023 campaign.
After joining the team on November 20, Joe Flacco, a seasoned quarterback, had been lounging on his couch for the majority of the season, so Cleveland looked to him.
Flacco would go 4-1 with 1,616 passing yards, 13 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions through the first five games of the regular season. Though Flacco’s magic would wear off in the Wild Card round of the playoffs against the Houston Texans, when he would throw back-to-back pick-sixes, it was still a marvel that Flacco was able to get a very injured Browns team to the postseason.
Joe Flacco says on @SiriusXMNFL radio that starting games is still his first preference, but the #Browns are his first pick for a backup position: [t.co/W0R6zncVQp]
— March 6, 2024, Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot)
Next week, Flacco will be eligible for free agency, and he mentioned the possibility of joining the Browns again.
The 39-year-old quarterback said on NFL Sirius XM radio on Wednesday, “All things equal, Cleveland is definitely the place that I would feel the best about.” By this, he meant that if he were only offered a backup quarterback position by any other NFL team, he would want to be in Cleveland; however, if a starting position became available, things would be different.
Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk reported that a league source said, “Flacco’s first choice is a reunion with the Browns.” Everything about playing there, the squad, the city, the fans—he loves it all. At the Scouting Combine last week, the two parties had a meeting to discuss the idea.
Flacco would only be Deshaun Watson’s backup when he returned to Cleveland. Only if Watson isn’t healthy enough to play in Week One or if he has another injury throughout the season would Flacco be the starting quarterback for the Browns in 2019.
Watson has participated in 12 games thus far in his three years with Cleveland, which is a smaller sample size. He had a 230 million dollar guarantee before being traded for a ton of picks, including three first-round selections.
Despite the fact that Watson hasn’t demonstrated much in his brief time in Cleveland, the Browns are willing to stick with him because they made a significant investment in him.
Would it be interesting to watch Flacco come back and support Watson? Naturally, he had an excellent season last year, Cleveland loves him, and he adores the city. Nevertheless, Flacco must seize the chance if a team offers to start him as a bridge quarterback this season or until their rookie quarterback is ready because he is 39 years old and doesn’t have much time left to play in the NFL.
Flacco gave Cleveland fans hope when the season looked hopeless, and for that, the fans will always be grateful, but Flacco must put his family, his profession, and himself first. He won’t be able to decline an offer of a starting position.
