The Cleveland Browns will no longer have Joe Flacco for the foreseeable future as the reigning NFL Comeback Player of the Year has signed with the Indianapolis Colts this offseason.
Cleveland was reportedly interested in bringing back the 39-year-old signal-caller. But according to Joe Flacco’s agent, they didn’t get any offers from the Cleveland Browns, so they decided to move on.
Joe Flacco, signed after Deshaun Watson suffered a season-ending shoulder injury last November, became a fan favorite for the Cleveland Browns last season after he guided them to the wild-card round.
In five regular-season games, the one-time Super Bowl champion recorded 1,616 passing yards, 13 touchdowns, and eight interceptions for a 60.3 completion percentage. Now with the Indianapolis Colts, Joe Flacco will serve as the primary backup for Anthony Richardson.
How did the Cleveland Browns fans react to the departure of Joe Flacco?
Loyal Cleveland Browns fans gave Joe Flacco his flowers for a memorable 2023 campaign. While most of them wanted to see him stay for next season, they know that having a much older backup for their injury-prone starting quarterback is not the way to go moving forward.
“Joe Flacco was fun guys but be real you cant have your back up to an injury prone Watson be a 40 year old man who might retire if he pulls his back doing yard work. You dont catch lightening in a bottle twice, good luck to him wherever he goes,” posted one fan on X (formerly known as Twitter).
“Also he asked for more money than they expected. All this browns talk about cap space and you want more tied up in the back up QB spot? How does that make sense?” he added.
“I think what #Browns need to realize is that Jameis Winston is a younger version of Joe Flacco very similar play-styles except Winston is nine years younger,” tweeted another Cleveland Browns fan.
With Flacco no longer with the team, the Cleveland Browns signed Jameis Winston to a one-year deal. Winston only played seven games for the New Orleans Saints in 2023, recording 264 passing yards, two touchdowns, and three interceptions for a 53.2 completion percentage.