10:50pm: Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports the Flacco deal will pay out $6MM if he operates as the Browns’ starter and the team does not reach the playoffs. A starting gig which does produce a postseason berth, meanwhile, will see him earn $8MM. Flacco would need to earn first-team All-Pro honors to achieve the maximum $13MM, an entirely unrealistic scenario for the zero-time Pro Bowler. If he can duplicate the success of his first Cleveland stint, though, Flacco can notably add to his career earnings.
8:02am: Joe Flacco will return to Cleveland for 2025. The 40-year-old quarterback has an agreement in place with the Browns, as first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The move is now official.
This will be a one-year deal with a base value of $4MM, per Flacco’s agency. The pact can be worth up to $13MM thanks to incentives. After taking over starting duties late in the 2023 campaign, the former Super Bowl MVP will now return to the Browns as they continue to sort out their quarterback situation. 
Deshaun Watson‘s second Achilles tear threatens to keep him sidelined for the entire 2025 campaign. As a result, the Browns have been active in pursuing veteran help under center, trading for former Steelers first-rounder Kenny Pickett earlier this offseason. More moves were expected, although signs pointed against the No. 2 pick in this month’s draft being devoted to a signal-caller. This deal represents another indication that will be the case.
Flacco’s time atop the depth chart with the Ravens ended with a knee injury midway through the 2018 campaign. Then-rookie Lamar Jackson replaced him in the lineup and has remained the starter ever since. After the season, Flacco was dealt to the Broncos, although his one-and-done Denver campaign did not go according to plan. The former first-rounder then saw time with the Jets and Eagles, making nine starts between 2020-22.
Uncertainty loomed over Flacco’s NFL future, but the Browns represented an opportunity to continue his career once Watson went down in 2023. The Delaware product was initially brought in as veteran insurance, but he quickly locked down the QB1 gig and helped lead Cleveland to the playoffs. Flacco averaged 323 yards per game and threw 13 touchdown passes in five regular season games, but interceptions proved to be a problem then and in the team’s wild-card loss to the Texans.
Flacco preferred to remain with the Browns for 2024, but he wound up taking a one-year Colts deal after Indianapolis was priced out of Gardner Minshew‘s market. Anthony Richardson began the season atop the depth chart, but the former No. 4 pick was benched at one point and again missed time due to injury. That allowed Flacco to made six starts, bringing his career total to 191. That figure could rise even further in 2025.
Pickett is now joined by Flacco as a healthy Browns quarterback option. Cleveland has been linked to a pursuit of Kirk Cousins, who is seeking a fresh start after being demoted to backup by the Falcons. A trade after the draft is still possible at this point since Atlanta is open to entertaining it, but especially if the Browns add a developmental passer sometime during the draft the market for Cousins will be quite limited. In any case, Flacco – who posted a 90.5 passer rating in 2024 – will be a familiar option for head coach Kevin Stefanski and Co.
Interestingly, Schefter adds Flacco also spoke with the Steelers and Vikings prior to making his Cleveland return. Pittsburgh is of course still linked to Aaron Rodgers as the team seeks a short-term starter; Rodgers’ preferred destination, meanwhile is Minnesota. The Vikings (barring a Rodgers deal) are set to hand the reins over to J.J. McCarthy in 2025, but they are clearly on the lookout for a veteran. Flacco could have fulfilled that role, but instead he will compete for playing time in Cleveland.
Outstanding
Browns bring back 52 y.o. Flo Jacko, a.k.a. “Wacko Jacko”, for a second stint! Looks like it’s nothing but swimming pools, movie stars for the Cleveland Browns and Super Bowl Championships. Mmmm mmmm mmmm mmmmm mmmmm.
Why?
Why outstanding?
It was sarcasm
No…I am serious…he was terrific two years ago…and would love to see a repeat effort
Good signing, but absurd to think this signing is any indication if the browns will or will not draft a qb very high on the draft. Heck, Flacco would be a good a great mentor, Pickett not so much.
Besides Cam Ward you really think any QB in this draft is worth a high first rounder?
I don’t even think Ward is worth a 1st.
@da. If he went last year. He would be after nix probably a late 1st rounder or 2nd. I would skip it this year. Plenty talent in the top 5-10.
Signing a 40 year old QB may mean they’re def drafting a QB somewhere.
I think it eliminates the Browns drafting a QB round 1 pick 2. If Sanders isn’t drafted by the Colts at 14, he better hope someone trades back into the 1st round… could get ugly for him
Ward is most definitely a 1st Round QB prospect. He’s bigger, faster and has a stronger throwing arm than every other playable QB available to draft. Sanders is more accurate, and that’s something, but his potential ceiling is much lower than Ward’s.
Its a pretty wild stat that he never made even a single pro bowl – yet is still playing at 40.
You can almost fall into one just being mediocre these days. Its the most overrated accomplishment – but still really wild to think about.
Especially when you consider the fact that Josh Freeman went to one.
Flacco DID make it as an alternate in 2014, but declined due to his wife having a baby. Dalton went instead (for one of his two).
Mitch Trubisky and Tyrod too!
Name me a Superbowl winning Ravens quarterback who went to a Pro Bowl…
Should be a good trivia question.
Ha!
I would have bet alot of money on this being a trick question.
And I would have lost.
Not to spoil it for anyone here – but it was super easy to forget.
Does going to a PB as a spectator count? 🙂
Trent Dilfer
He technically did make the Pro Bowl for the 2014 season but declined it because he wife was having their baby:
link to espn.com
To save a click:
“Flacco turned down his first Pro Bowl invitation because his wife, Dana, is due to deliver their third child today (Jan. 20), which allowed Dalton to make the all-star event as the seventh alternate. The Pro Bowl will be played Sunday in Glendale, Arizona.”
Not really.
Looking for a second dead cat bounce to his career isn’t a great bet, but then again, neither is Pickett.
They just need someone to take care of the ball while they get through this Watson era and hopefully they start drafting QBs here and reload. QBs in Cleveland need to do just enough to have their defense carry them a. la. the 2020s 49ers
Fair to a degree, but with the offensive line degraded over the last couple years and no more prime Chubb and Cooper, it’s a harder assignment than it was.
Two Jersey Boys auditioning for show time in Cleveland.
Now if the Browns can just sign Frankie Valli and Bob Gaudio they could Doo-Wop all over their opponents.
Second?
When he played well for Cleveland coming off his couch, that was a dead cat bounce to his career. This would be them hoping for a second.
Titans should have signed him
No
Good luck.
So now both the 2024 and 2025 Browns are going to be the only teams ever to roll into the regular season with 4 QBs on the regular season. Because they definitely will be drafting someone somewhere (maybe Milroe) – they just traded a 5th for Pickett, Flacco, and they can’t get rid of Watson because it will blow up their cap. This is exactly why no one does fully guaranteed contracts. Watson is essentially not on the team but they have to leave him on the roster for cap purposes.
The door is shut on Cousins to Cleveland ?
My first thoughts exactly. Falcons have no choose but to keep Kirk now….But why Kirk to Pittsburgh isn’t more of a discussion I haven’t been able to understand.
I don’t see how the Browns could have afforded him, anyway. Cousins released would be cheap, but a trade would bring on a big salary for a team already paying out some big contracts. They have around $13 million in space if I’m correct. Cousins’ cap hit is $40 million.
Even with a restructure, that would kick the can even further down the road, which would exacerbate Cleveland’s already tight cap issues in later years from the Watson deal for a quarterback who is in his upper 30s and coming off an injury. I just don’t see how the Browns could have acquired Cousibs without a release…which the Falcons seem unwilling to consider.
Correction-the Browns have about $19 million-this, of course, before signing rookies. Still far too little, even to cover Cousins’ base salary of $27 million for 2025.
I think the Browns (and everyone else’s) interest in Cousins is solely on if he’s released and only the Falcons haven’t realized that yet.
Awesome! This should mean they’ll take Carter or Hunter at #2, then either Dart or Milroe with their second pick.
They’re definitely drafting a QB we just don’t know when. Second they could take Abdul and maybe target Milroe or dart round two
Or
Draft Shedeur
Okay sanders fanboy.
Random
Flacco v. Pickett .. with a newly motivated Watson lurking in the shadows.. please don’t draft a qb .. want to see how this all plays out
2025 isn’t the year to use a 1st rd pick on a QB.
This cannot be said enough
Super Bowl MVP but never been to the Pro Bowl? Thats wild.