Flacco agreed to terms Wednesday with the Colts on a one-year contract worth up to $8.7 million, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Flacco's deal reportedly includes $4.5 million guaranteed. The reigning NFL Comeback Player of the Year is coming off an impressive showing with Cleveland last season, and he's now slated to replace Gardner Minshew as the top backup to second-year quarterback Anthony Richardson (shoulder). All expectations in Indianapolis are that Richardson will be ready for training camp and fully cleared well ahead of Week 1, but Flacco makes for a capable backup should he be required to take the field during the 2024 season. Even if Richardson maintains health all season, Flacco should at least make for a valuable mentor for the young signal-caller.
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Browns' Joe Flacco: Intends to play in 2024
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Flacco, who is scheduled to be a free agent this offseason, plans to continue his NFL career in 2024, Rob Maaddi of the Associated Press reports.
Flacco will look to keep playing in what will be his age-40 season, though it's difficult to gauge what kind of opportunities he'll garner in free agency. The veteran signal-caller is coming off an impressive late-season run with the Browns in which he led the team to a 4-1 record across five starts, culminating in a wild-card round playoff exit to the Texans. Cleveland is likely to restore a healthy Deshaun Watson (shoulder) as its starter in 2024, but if the team has any concerns about Watson's health, re-signing Flacco could be a priority. If the Browns opt not to bring him back, however, Flacco's strong showing in 2023 ought to at least earn him a backup gig elsewhere in the league.
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Browns' Joe Flacco: Impressive run ends
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Flacco completed 34 of 46 passes for 307 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions in Saturday's 45-14 loss to the Texans. He rushed the ball three times for 13 yards.
Flacco entered Saturday's game with four straight wins and a 4-1 record in five starts with the Browns. In that span, he had thrown multiple touchdowns in every matchup. However, that came crashing down in the loss to the Texans, as he threw a pair of pick-sixes on back-to-back possessions in the second half to put the Browns down by three scores. Assuming Deshaun Watson (shoulder) is fully recovered, he'll be the Browns' starting quarterback entering the 2024 season, though Flacco could return as the backup or find a job elsewhere thanks to his strong run to the 2023 campaign.
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Browns' Joe Flacco: Could be limited in Week 18
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Cleveland head coach Kevin Stefanski said the team is still "working through" the possibility of sitting Flacco and other starters for all or part of the Week 18;game against the Bengals, Scott Petrak of the Medina Gazette reports. "It's important for us to finish strong, so that's what we're going to do, and then we'll get as healthy as we can going into the next season," the coach said. "We'll have a plan moving forward. I'll update you guys as we get going through the week."
The Browns are locked into the No. 5 seed and a road game against the AFC South champs in the wild-card round, so the team's decision-makers will evaluate what's best for individual players and the team as a whole. Flacco, who turns 39 this month, has been terrific since being named the starter, but it's easy to see him being removed at some point during the game or even rested entirely. Other skill players, like Amari Cooper (heel) and Elijah Moore (concussion) may benefit from an off week, which could impact Flacco's production if he does play. PJ Walker and Jeff Driskel are the options to take Flacco's place under center.
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Browns' Joe Flacco: Keeps rolling in Week 17 win
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Flacco completed 19 of 29 passes for 309 yards with three touchdowns and one interception in the Browns' 37-20 win over the Jets on Thursday night. He also rushed twice for three yards and committed two fumbles, losing one.
Flacco did the overwhelming majority of his damage in the first half, when the Browns racked up 34 of their 37 points. The veteran signal-caller shook off the absence of Amari Cooper (heel) and the in-game exit of Elijah Moore (head), focusing heavily on David Njoku, with whom he connected on six occasions for 134 yards. Flacco linked up with Jerome Ford for touchdown passes of seven and 50 yards, and he hit Moore with an eight-yard scoring toss before the receiver suffered his injury. Flacco now has four straight 300-yard efforts and five multi-touchdown tallies in as many starts heading into the Week 18 regular-season finale against the Bengals on Sunday, Jan. 7, a game that will be followed by at least one postseason contest courtesy of Thursday's victory.
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Browns' Joe Flacco: Adds/Streamers (QB Preview)
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Flacco has been the No. 4 QB in Fantasy since he took over as the starter for the Browns, but there are competing narratives at play here. We love the revenge game factor of Flacco taking on his former team, especially since the Browns didn't turn to him when Aaron Rodgers went down. On the flip side, this is a Thursday night game against a Jets defense that has surrendered the second-fewest FPPG to opposing QBs this season. I would back off of Flacco if Amari Cooper is ruled out.
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Browns' Joe Flacco: Week 17 Waiver Priority List
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Flacco is coming off his best game in his four starts with the Browns with 30.8 Fantasy points, and he's scored at least 20.2 points in each outing with Cleveland. This will be his toughest test to date in Week 17 against the Jets on Thursday night since New York is No. 1 in fewest Fantasy points allowed to opposing quarterbacks. Only four quarterbacks have scored more than 20 Fantasy points against the Jets this season and none have topped 15 points in the past five games, including two meetings with Tua Tagovailoa over that span. That said, with how well Flacco has done so far, he should still be considered a low-end starter in all leagues.
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Browns' Joe Flacco: Sleeper QBs
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Flacco should be considered a No. 1 Fantasy quarterback in all leagues for Week 16 at Houston. He comes into this game with at least 20.2 Fantasy points in all three starts for the Browns, with at least two touchdowns in each outing and at least 311 passing yards in his past two contests. This week, he gets to face a Texans defense that has allowed five of their past seven opposing quarterbacks to score at least 23 Fantasy points. It wouldn't surprise me if Flacco is a top-10 Fantasy quarterback in Week 16.
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Browns' Joe Flacco: Start Him (Lineup Decisions)
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The good news is that Flacco has used high passing volume (at least 44 pass attempts in three starts) to notch back-to-back-to-back 20-plus-point Fantasy games. The bad news is that Flacco looks every bit like a near-39-year-old quarterback who's barely played pro football this year. Last week I counted three passes that should have been intercepted, not including a pass batted down behind the line of scrimmage nor the gutsy throw Flacco hit Amari Cooper on for his long touchdown (or his actual three interceptions, though one wasn't on him). Flacco's pass velocity is waning, and his lack of mobility will eventually catch up with him. However, this Texans defense is expected to be without edge rusher Will Anderson and safety Jimmie Ward. Both are significant losses but in five games with Ward off the field the Texans allowed a 68.7% completion rate, 8.1 yards per attempt, 6.2 YAC/reception and five passing touchdowns. Those numbers are worse than the Commanders' season-long pass defense metrics, and you know how ugly of a defense they've been. It's just enough to buy into the pass-heavy Flacco for one more week. I'd start him over Russell Wilson, Gardner Minshew and Kyler Murray.
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Browns' Joe Flacco: Sleepers (Start/Sit)
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Flacco should be considered a No. 1 Fantasy quarterback in all leagues for Week 16 at Houston. He comes into this game with at least 20.2 Fantasy points in all three starts for the Browns, with at least two touchdowns in each outing and at least 311 passing yards in his past two contests. This week, he gets to face a Texans defense that has allowed five of their past seven opposing quarterbacks to score at least 23 Fantasy points. It wouldn't surprise me if Flacco is a top-10 Fantasy quarterback in Week 16.
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Browns' Joe Flacco: Listed with calf injury
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Flacco is listed as a limited participant on Wednesday's estimated practice report due to a calf injury, Scott Petrak of the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram reports.
The Browns didn't actually practice Wednesday but presumably will do so Thursday as they prepare for a road game in Houston this Sunday. Flacco didn't miss any snaps in this past Sunday's 20-17 win over the Bears, throwing for 374 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions on 44 attempts.
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Browns' Joe Flacco: Week 16 Waiver Priority List
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Flacco has scored at least 20.2 Fantasy points in all three starts for the Browns, with at least two touchdowns in each outing and at least 311 passing yards in his past two contests. This week, he gets to face a Texans defense that has allowed five of their past seven opposing quarterbacks to score at least 23 Fantasy points. I like Flacco as a low-end No. 1 Fantasy quarterback in Week 16.
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Browns' Joe Flacco: Sit Him (Lineup Decisions)
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I've been loving Flacco's aggressiveness (along with the Browns' total faith in letting him throw a lot). Last week he seemed to be in rhythm with his receivers, he proved he still knows where to go with the ball from play to play and his tendency to attack deep provided ample opportunities for big plays. But I do think a lot of last week's numbers were because of bad busts in coverage by the Jaguars combined with Flacco not being under a lot of pressure from the Jags' pass rush. When he's been pressured, Flacco's completion rate has dropped from 62.1% to 34.8%, his yards per attempt have sunk from 7.1 to 4.3, and his QB rating cratered from 97.2 to 45.2. Chicago's pass rush has come alive with Montez Sweat getting after the quarterback, and I expect it to remain strong even without Yannick Ngakoue for the rest of the season. Meanwhile, Flacco's offensive line is down to two backups at both tackle spots (though Geron Christian has played pretty decently), and center Ethan Pocic might not play. Plus the Bears have allowed one quarterback to land 20-plus Fantasy points in their past eight games. It makes for a really tough spot for Flacco.
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Browns' Joe Flacco: Heads back to practice squad
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Flacco reverted to the Browns' practice squad Monday, per the NFL's transaction log.
This move is merely procedural after the Browns elevated Flacco to start the team's last two games. So far, he's fared well in those outings, completing 49 of 89 passes for 565 yards, five touchdowns and two interceptions while losing his only fumble. Cleveland has gone 1-1 in that span to remain firmly in the playoff race at 8-5, and coach Kevin Stefanski called Flacco the Browns' starting quarterback for the rest of the season following Sunday's 31-27 win against the Jaguars. It remains to be seen if the team will keep him on the practice squad this week in order to elevate him for a Week 15 matchup with the Bears or instead sign him outright to the active roster, but both options are on the table.
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Browns' Joe Flacco: Named starter after victory
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Flacco completed 26 of 45 passes for 311 yards, three touchdowns and one interception in Sunday's 31-27 win over the Jaguars.
The Browns relied heavily on Flacco and the passing attack for the second consecutive week, though this time he delivered a victory on the strength of three passing touchdowns. He found David Njoku on 34- and 30-yard passes, respectively, to open the scoring, and he closed his performance with a 41-yard toss to David Bell. That was enough to convince coach Kevin Stefanski that Flacco should lead the team moving forward, as the veteran signal-caller was named the starter for the rest of the season following the win, per Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer. For that to happen, Flacco must be signed to the active roster, as he was elevated from the practice squad for the last two games.
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Browns' Joe Flacco: Expected to get Week 14 start
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Flacco appears to be in line to start Sunday's game against the Jaguars, though the Browns haven't formally announced their plans at quarterback, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson had made two straight starts before missing the Browns' Week 13 game against the Rams with a concussion, paving the way for Flacco to direct the offense following his elevation from the practice squad. Though the Browns ultimately lost to the Rams, 36-19, Flacco was reasonably effective in moving the offense, as he completed 23 of 44 pass attempts for 254 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. Thompson-Robinson cleared concussion protocol and turned in a full practice to close out the week to erase any concerns about his availability for Sunday, but head coach Kevin Stefanski continued to play coy with the Browns' quarterback situation when he spoke to the media Friday, noting that either Thompson-Robinson or Flacco would serve as the team's Week 14 starter. Given that he's coming off a decent showing in his Browns debut and still took most of the first-team reps in practice this week before being elevated from the practice squad once again Saturday, Flacco appears more likely than Thompson-Robinson to get the nod, but official confirmation on a starting quarterback may not come until closer to the game's 1 p.m. ET kickoff.
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Browns' Joe Flacco: Uncertain to start Sunday
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Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski was unwilling to reveal Friday whether Flacco or Dorian Thompson-Robinson will start Sunday's game against the Jaguars, Jake Trotter of ESPN.com reports.
After being elevated from the practice squad, Flacco started in Week 13 while Thompson-Robinson was in concussion protocol, completing 23 of 44 attempts for 254 yards, two touchdowns and an interception in the Browns' 36-19 loss to the Rams. The Browns confirmed that Thompson-Robinson has cleared the protocol and is still under consideration for the Week 14 start after he was able to practice in some capacity Wednesday through Friday, but Zac Jackson of The Athletic notes that Flacco was first in line for all the quarterbacks drills in each day of practice. Though both Flacco and Thompson-Robinson will be available Sunday, the Browns seem content to wait until game day to name a starter, with confirmation potentially not arriving until shortly before the 1 p.m. ET kickoff. Given that Thompson-Robinson presents a threat as a runner, it's possible that the Browns carve out a package of plays for him Sunday even if Flacco ends up getting a second straight start.
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Browns' Joe Flacco: Solid numbers in 2023 debut
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Flacco completed 23 of 44 passes for 254 yards and two touchdowns with one interception in Sunday's 36-19 loss to the Rams.
Seeing his first game action since Week 18 of last season, Flacco provided the Browns with some stability at quarterback as he tossed a 24-yard TD to Jerome Ford in the first quarter and an eight-yard score to Harrison Bryant in the fourth. The 38-year-old QB played well enough to potentially stick around on the roster, but per Scott Petrak of the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram, coach Kevin Stefanski declined to name a starter for a Week 14 clash with the Jaguars, suggesting that rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson (concussion) is still in the mix if he clears the league's protocol before next Sunday.
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Browns' Joe Flacco: Set to start Sunday
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With Dorian Thompson-Robinson (concussion) ruled out, Flacco is in line to start at QB for the Browns in Sunday's game against the Rams, Jake Trotter of ESPN.com and Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer report.
Per Kelsey Russo of the Browns' official site, Flacco took reps with the first-team offense during practice Wednesday and Thursday, and now that it's been confirmed that Thompson-Robinson will be unavailable this weekend, the veteran signal-caller is slated to be elevated from the practice squad ahead of Week 13 action in order to draw the start Sunday, with PJ Walker handling backup duties. In that context, Flacco represents a fantasy option for those in deeper formats or who are otherwise impacted by the fact that six NFL teams have byes this week.
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Joe Flacco: Could start Sunday
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Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said Wednesday that Flacco is now considered the top backup to starting quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson, who suffered a concussion during Sunday's loss to Denver, Jake Trotter of ESPN.com reports.
In other words, Flacco may end up starting Sunday's game at the Rams if Thompson-Robinson is unable to clear the five-step protocol this week. P.J. Walker filled in after Thompson-Robinson exited against Denver and once again struggled with to limit turnovers. Based on his track record, Flacco would at least likely do a better job than Walker at avoiding interceptions, even if he had no more success sustaining drives and scoring points. The 38-year-old signal-caller joined Cleveland's practice squad last week.
