The NFL’s 2023 Comeback Player of the Year Joe Flacco’s first choice as an unrestricted free agent is to return to the Cleveland Browns, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.
Flacco was signed by the Cleveland Browns in late November last year before bursting onto the scene as the Browns’ most consistent quarterback at 39-years-old. Flacco will become an unrestricted free agent on March 13, meaning he can go anywhere in the league.
Flacco and the Browns met to discuss a potential reunion last week at the NFL Scouting Combine, according to Florio.
Joe Flacco was the Comeback Player of the Year for the Cleveland Browns
Joe Flacco exploded onto the scene for the Cleveland Browns, who were desperate for a quarterback after starting quarterback Deshaun Watson went down for the year. Flacco was unable to get the win for the Browns in his first start with them against the Los Angeles Rams, but he won every other regular season game he started.
Joe Flacco couldn’t do enough to bring the Browns to victory in the playoffs as they suffered a devastating 45-14 loss to the Houston Texans.
During Flacco’s short run that earned him the Comeback Player of the Year Award, he threw for 1,616 yards, 13 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He instilled life into a Cleveland Browns offense that had struggled to move the ball, especially without star running back Nick Chubb who suffered a gruesome knee injury early in the season.
DAVID ‘CHIEF’ NJOKU TOUCHDOWN!
What a pass from Flacco. 🎯 #Browns x #NFL pic.twitter.com/DhunMc5gbB
— Browns fan UK (@brownsfanuk) December 24, 2023
Joe Flacco still has it!! 34 yard #Browns Touchdown! #NFL #DawgPound
— SportsEmpyre (@SportsEmpyre) December 10, 2023
Freaking Joe Flacco!! Touchdown Browns!!! 27-7 Browns pic.twitter.com/KYSPmtGm3V
— JonnyO (@OzIsCTown) December 29, 2023
Joe Flacco wants to stick with the Cleveland Browns despite potential starting jobs elsewhere
Joe Flacco wants to stay with the Cleveland Browns even though there might be starting opportunities at other spots around the league. This could have to do with how he was treated upon his arrival in the city. Flacco expressed his gratitude for the city of Cleveland in an article from The Athletic.
“The city’s been unbelievable. I can’t say enough about how welcoming everybody has been,” Flacco said Tuesday. “Just coming from Baltimore for most of my career … It’s definitely been a little bit surreal in terms of how people have treated me around here.”
The Cleveland Browns did make the playoffs and are home to one of the best defenses in the league as well, so maybe Flacco thinks it is a good opportunity for him to be a part of another Super Bowl team.
Otherwise, Flacco could be a more-than-serviceable bridge quarterback for a team that wants to give someone time to develop or give themselves another year to find a franchise quarterback. One option for Flacco could be the New England Patriots, who are most likely going to move on from quarterback Mac Jones.
If the Patriots draft a young quarterback, a veteran like Flacco would be the perfect quarterback to learn behind for a year before being thrust into a starting position. Other teams in the situation might be the Denver Broncos or the Las Vegas Raiders.
Depending on how much time Flacco thinks he has left in his career, this may be his last chance to start. That being said, he might prefer a role in which he does not have to start for a full NFL season and the Browns might offer him just that.
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