Joe Flacco

Browns Bring Back QB Joe Flacco

April 11th, 2025 at 10:50pm CST by Adam La Rose

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.

Browns Were Not Interested In Long-Term Russell Wilson Commitment; Latest On Team’s QB Plans

March 30th, 2025 at 10:19pm CST by Adam La Rose

Russell Wilson‘s 2025 free agent process ended with a Giants deal. The Super Bowl winner sees himself as the team’s starter, and he could very well wind up atop the depth chart if New York does not use a high draft pick on a passer in April.

Wilson also visited the Browns earlier this month, opening the door to a Cleveland agreement. That did not seem as likely as a Giants pact, though, so Wilson’s ultimate decision came as little surprise. A one-year commitment to the 36-year-old could very well produce a run of starts and another deal being worked out next offseason in New York’s case.

While the Browns also themselves in need of a long-term solution under center, Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com writes they viewed Wilson strictly as a bridge option. As a result, negotiations on a contract did not last particularly long, with the longtime Seahawk preferring an option where he would not face as much competition for a starting gig. New York had already added Jameis Winston on a two-year pact, and the team could draft a quarterback at some point next month; nevertheless, Wilson is currently on track to handle QB1 duties at this point.

Cleveland has Deshaun Watson on the books for two more years, but his second Achilles tear leaves him in danger of missing most or all of the 2025 campaign. That leaves trade acquisition Kenny Pickett in place to compete for the starting role this offseason. The top QB selected in the 2022 draft, Pickett’s Steelers tenure did not go as planned and it ended with a trade to the Eagles last spring. The 26-year-old is now in place with the Browns, a team which could be in the market for at least one other passer.

Cleveland has long been connected to trading for Kirk Cousins, but Cabot adds a deal on that front can be considered unlikely at this point. The Falcons passer wants to avoid a repeat of last year’s situation by waiting until after the draft to be dealt, although it remains to be seen if Atlanta will be on board with such a move and if financial arrangements related to the remainder of his contract can be made with an acquiring team. Free agents like Joe Flacco and Carson Wentz have been linked to the Browns, but again Cabot cautions nothing is currently imminent on that front.

Set to select second overall in April’s draft, Cleveland will likely have the opportunity to select any prospect other than Cam Ward. The team was recently reported to be high on Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter, but other options will be considered as well. The Browns have hosted Tyler Shough on a top-30 visit, and he is among the quarterbacks who could find themselves in Cleveland next season. For now, at least, Pickett is in position to receive the chance to handle QB1 duties, something he sees himself as capable of managing on his new team.

Mutual Interest Between Browns, Carson Wentz; Joe Flacco Still On Radar

March 19th, 2025 at 10:52pm CST by Sam Robinson

Passing on Carson Wentz nine years ago eventually led the Browns to Baker Mayfield. With Mayfield long gone and the player brought in to replace him — Deshaun Watson — on an albatross contract and potentially out for the season, the Browns are still shopping for a veteran.

Kenny Pickett is on Cleveland’s roster, but the team almost definitely needs another option to sell to its fanbase as a Week 1 starter. Although squarely on the radar to draft a passer at No. 2 overall, the Browns hosted Russell Wilson. Giving Wilson another chance to start remains on the Browns’ radar, as they are part of this Aaron Rodgers domino arrangement. The Browns, however, do not appear to be interested in Rodgers.

The second domino to fall once Rodgers makes his decision — potentially between retirement, the Steelers or the Giants, should the Vikings indeed pass — Wilson appears the Browns’ preference. But the Giants and Steelers are also hovering for the former Pro Bowler. If Wilson passes on the Browns, cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot reports Carson Wentz would become a realistic option. Mutual interest “definitely” exists between the former No. 2 overall pick and the Browns.

Wentz, 32, is obviously far removed from the prospect he was coming out of North Dakota State and has slipped well off the pace from his outlier 2017 season — one that likely would have secured him an MVP had he stayed healthy. The 2024 Chiefs backup was last seen taking the snaps in a 38-0 Kansas City loss to a Denver team playing starters most of the way. But Wentz has plenty of starter experience. He could be a bridge option for the Browns, though this setup would seemingly ramp up the pressure for Cleveland to select a quarterback early in the draft.

As of Sunday, the Browns had not necessarily submitted Wilson an offer, Cabot adds (subscription required). It still appears fairly clear Wilson would be Cleveland’s choice over Wentz, who has not been viewed as a starter since the Commanders benched him late in the 2022 season. Wentz made Week 18 starts with the Rams and Chiefs over the past two years, but he has 94 under his belt as a pro. Certainly not a particularly exciting option at this stage of his career, Wentz looms as an option to join Pickett if Wilson opts for New York or Pittsburgh.

Wentz may not be the next choice for the Browns, however, with Cabot indicating during an appearance on 92.3 The Fan’s Baskin & Phelps (audio link) that a Joe Flacco return remains an option. We heard over the weekend Flacco was back in play with the Browns, who did not submit him an offer to stay — as they made a last-ditch attempt to salvage the Watson sunk cost — last year. Even at 40, Flacco is still drawing interest and appears likely to land a chair as teams scramble for stopgaps.

A plan in which Pickett is the only veteran starter option for the Browns does not appear in play, Cabot adds, though she cautious that money is an object. The Browns have $10MM-plus in cap space, but they obviously still would need to carve out almost that much for their draft class. Kirk Cousins had loomed as an option, but the Falcons are holding onto him as a trade asset.

Cousins, who played for Kevin Stefanski in Minnesota, saw $10MM of his 2026 salary become guaranteed Sunday. But that is subject to offset, meaning the Falcons will hope to bill another team in the event of a trade. The Browns are not in a good position to be taking on that kind of money, as Watson’s guarantees run through 2026. An unfathomable dead money number, thanks to a fourth Watson restructure, would come into play if the Browns cut the wildly disappointing QB next year.

The Giants or Steelers could potentially price Wilson out of Cleveland, especially if a bidding war commences should Rodgers retire. Flacco and Wentz would come cheaper. Ditto Jameis Winston, though Cabot views a Winston return as unlikely. Benched as the Browns careened toward the No. 2 overall pick, Winston left his Giants visit without a deal.

Joe Flacco ‘In Play’ For Steelers, Browns, Vikings

March 16th, 2025 at 9:40pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The NFL’s annual quarterback carousel is still spinning, and Aaron Rodgers seems to have his hands on the controls. Multiple teams are pursuing the four-time MVP, and his decision will have a cascading effect on the rest of the market.

Russell Wilson is ready to sign and will likely be the next domino to fall, leaving Joe Flacco as the top veteran option on the market.

Flacco is already receiving interest from multiple teams. He is “in play…for jobs with the Steelers, Browns, and Vikings,” per Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio. It’s easy to see Flacco end up in any of those destinations. He’s been a mercenary ever since he left Baltimore and spent the last three years with three different teams.

In Pittsburgh, Flacco would have a winnable battle with Mason Rudolph for a starting job after he re-signed with his old team last week. The Steelers may also look to add a quarterback through the draft, though their first-round pick (No. 21 overall) is likely too late for a top prospect. If Flacco wants a legitimate shot at starting, Pittsburgh may be his best bet.

The Browns are similarly bereft at the quarterback position. Deshaun Watson could miss the entire 2025 season after tearing his Achilles for a second time, which would leave Flacco to take on fellow former first-rounder Kenny Pickett for the starting gig. Flacco also spent the 2023 season in Cleveland, which was his best since leaving Baltimore. The Browns went 4-1 in his five starts, which featured 323.2 yards per game and 13 touchdowns. Flacco’s previous success in Cleveland and familiarity with Kevin Stefanski and much of his offensive line could motivate the 40-year-old to return to a previous team for the first time in his career.

Minnesota seems to offer the least upside. Flacco could start over J.J. McCarthy at the beginning of the season, but unless he truly thrives, it’s hard to imagine the Vikings sacrificing another year of development for the 2024 No. 6 overall pick. But if Flacco wants to win, Minnesota might be the place to do it. They retained pending free agents like Aaron Jones and Byron Murphy while making upgrades in the trenches on both sides of the ball.

Giants Host QB Joe Flacco

March 13th, 2025 at 5:05pm CST by Ben Levine

The Giants have been linked to a handful of veteran signal callers during the early days of free agency. The team is once again giving serious consideration to an experienced quarterback. According to ESPN’s Field Yates, the Giants hosted Joe Flacco on a visit today.

Entering his age-40 season, Flacco represents more of a bridge and/or backup option than the likes of Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson. Still, considering Flacco’s recent play, the veteran would be a welcome addition to a barren Giants QBs room.

Flacco’s post-Ravens tenure didn’t get off to the best start. He went 2-6 with the Broncos in 2019, and he won only one of his nine starts with the Jets between 2020 and 2022. Flacco proved that he still had something left in the tank while playing with the Browns in 2023. The quarterback earned Comeback Player of the Year honors after guiding the Browns to a surprise playoff appearance, with Flacco going 4-1 while completing 60.3 percent of his passes for 1,616 yards, 13 touchdowns, and eight interceptions.

That performance earned him another NFL contract, with the Colts adding him as a contingency to Anthony Richardson last offseason. Indy’s investment proved to be somewhat worthwhile, as Flacco was called on to start six games for his new squad. The 39-year-old only went 2-4, but he still managed to toss 12 touchdowns while finishing with his highest completion percentage since 2019.

In New York, Flacco wouldn’t be the definitive QB1, but he would buy the Giants some extra time as they navigate their uncertain depth chart. Tommy DeVito is the only signal caller under contract in New York, leading many pundits to believe the front office will use their third-overall pick to secure a player at the position. Flacco could keep the seat warm while the rookie gains experience.

Flacco may also be a backup plan for the organization. The Giants remain in play for Rodgers, and they’re set to meet with Wilson tomorrow (Wilson left his Browns meeting today without a contract). If the organization strikes out on those two targets, they may be ready to pivot to another Super Bowl-winning QB in Flacco.

Joe Flacco Intends To Keep Playing In 2025

January 4th, 2025 at 9:45am CST by Ben Levine

Joe Flacco will be under center for the Colts’ season finale. If the quarterback has his way, this won’t mark the veteran’s final NFL appearance. A source told Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk that Flacco fully intends to play in 2025.

Flacco has bounced around the NFL since he was traded by the Ravens following the 2018 campaign. His one-year stay with the Broncos was followed by a three-year stint with the Jets, but his 3-14 record as a starter left the impression that his career was coming to an end.

However, the former Super Bowl MVP earned Comeback Player of the Year honors in 2023 after guiding the Browns to a surprise playoff birth. After joining Cleveland’s practice squad following Deshaun Watson‘s season-ending injury, Flacco ended up going 4-1 as a starter, completing 60.3 percent of his passes for 1,616 yards, 13 touchdowns, and eight interceptions. The Browns were one-and-done in the playoffs as Flacco tossed a pair of interceptions in that loss to the Texans, but the veteran proved he still had something left in the tank.

Last offseason, he landed in a natural spot in Indy, where he was expected to serve as a mentor to Anthony Richardson. Flacco ended up finding himself in and out of the starting lineup for the Colts in 2024. Despite going only 1-4 as a starter, Flacco has still put up solid numbers during his age-39 campaign, tossing 11 touchdowns vs. seven interceptions.

He’s currently attached to a one-year deal, so Flacco will once again enter free agency this offseason. Similar to previous years, he’ll be hard pressed to find more than a backup role with a new squad. However, he’s shown a recent ability to keep an offense running as a fill-in, and a team with a questionable QB outlook will surely consider the veteran as they look to fill out their quarterbacks room.

Colts Rule Out Anthony Richardson For Week 17; Joe Flacco To Start

December 28th, 2024 at 2:56pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Colts have ruled out Anthony Richardson for their Week 17 matchup with the Giants, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Joe Flacco will make his fourth start of the season in Richardson’s absence with Sam Ehlinger serving as the backup quarterback. Sunday will be Flacco’s seventh appearance and fourth start of the season. He has completed 66.5% of his passes for 1,167 yards and nine touchdowns along with five interceptions this year.

Richardson has been dealing with back and foot soreness all week, which sidelined him from practice, per Rapoport. Specifically, Richardson’s mobility and movement have been limited by back spasms, according to Joel Erickson of the Indianapolis Star. There was optimism earlier in the week that the second-year quarterback could play on Sunday, per ESPN’s Stephen Holder, but his lack of participation in Friday’s practice indicated otherwise.

Sunday’s game will be Richardson’s fifth absence of the season, and it could not come at a worse time for the Colts, who could be eliminated from playoff contention this week. If that happens, Indianapolis may opt to shut down their young quarterback altogether to give him a head start on healing up and preparing for the 2025 season.

Richardson’s durability has been a concern since he entered the league due to his physical playing style. He played in just four games as a rookie in 2024 before landing on injured reserve with a grade three AC joint sprain. This year, an oblique injury sidelined him in Weeks 5 and 6 before trouble arose with his back and foot later int he season.

Richardson admitted on Tuesday that his 86 rushing attempts (fifth-most among quarterbacks) have taken a toll on him physically.

“From the start of the season, you’re going to feel those hits the next day,” Richardson said (via Holder). “In college I didn’t really get sore. But the NFL, it’s a different breed, different game. You have some grown men out there playing football, so it’s always a little different getting tackled by those guys.”

Richardson’s durability isn’t the only concern surrounding his lack of availability. He was considered a raw quarterback prospect when the Colts selected him with the fourth overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. With just 13 starts and a 54.7% completion rate in college, most evaluators believed that Richardson would need consistent playing time to kickstart his development in the pros. As he approaches the end of his second NFL season, the former Florida standout has played in just 15 games with a 50.6% completion rate and a 11:13 touchdown-to-interception ratio.

Colts Turning Back To Anthony Richardson At QB

November 13th, 2024 at 10:20pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Colts’ pivot to Joe Flacco did not produce the kind of results the team hoped for, and the veteran is heading back to the bench. Indianapolis’ Anthony Richardson developmental effort is shifting back to on-field duty.

Although the Colts had demoted Richardson due to on-field and preparation concerns, they are reversing course. Richardson will start in Week 11, per Shane Steichen. Doubling down here, Steichen classified this change as a long-term switch by indicating Richardson will carry the keys for the rest of the season.

Steichen said Sunday he was not planning to turn back to Richardson, whose accuracy concerns had restrained the Colts’ offense. Like Dave Canales did during his initial Bryce Young-for-Andy Dalton change, Steichen reversed course days later. It will be Richardson, who is tied to a 44% completion rate, against the Jets in Week 11.

Richardson had arrived in Indiana as a hopeful savior for a Colts team that had kept shifting to different veterans following Andrew Luck‘s retirement. Instead, the unseasoned Florida product showed concerning flaws after entering the NFL with one season — a highly inaccurate one, at that — of college starting experience. The Colts had been insistent they would keep Richardson in the lineup, but his decision to leave the field for a play against the Texans catalyzed a benching themed around Flacco giving the 2024 roster a better chance to win. The yo-yoing with Richardson will continue now that Flacco has not recaptured his form from his 2023 Comeback Player of the Year season.

Trade interest came in for Richardson, as it did Young, before last week’s deadline. As expected, the Colts passed. But Steichen’s previous comments painted a cloudy picture for the former No. 4 overall pick. Now, the Colts — at 4-6 — will move their season back toward a Richardson developmental project. Although fantasy GMs rostering Colts wide receivers may not be a fan of this development, Richardson certainly needs more playing time after entering the NFL as a one-year Gators starter and missing most of his rookie season due to a shoulder injury.

Richardson’s 44.4% completion number ranks as the fifth-worst mark through six games this century, and although the QB’s 7.2 yards per attempt is not at a basement level, the dual threat’s occasional deep-ball success was not enough to keep him in the lineup in Week 9. But Flacco threw three INTs against the Bills and did not lead the Colts into the Vikings’ red zone a week prior. The 17th-year veteran will shift back to a relief role.

If the Colts stick with their QB plan this time around, they should be able to make a better determination of Richardson’s 2025 status. The team had viewed Richardson’s preparation issues as a bigger concern than his on-field struggles, further calling into question the team’s plan to give him the QB1 gig back so soon. It is possible the team will need to shop for another starter next year, as the Panthers might. Considering where the Colts’ busy offseasons at QB since Luck abruptly left in August 2019, that would not be a welcome development. As such, Richardson making progress will be vital to the Colts’ blueprint.

Richardson, who did complete 59.5% of his passes in limited duty last season, may well need to show notable improvement from his first-half form to keep GM Chris Ballard in place due to the investment made in the raw passer. This switch back to Richardson may well put the Colts’ 2024 contention prospects secondary to long-term development — in an AFC already featuring a somewhat thin wild-card race — but Flacco’s struggles were not justifying Steichen’s previous QB call. Richardson’s form will now be the central Colts storyline for the season’s final seven games.

Shane Steichen Addresses Colts’ Anthony Richardson Benching

October 30th, 2024 at 10:41pm CST by Sam Robinson

It is not especially common for a highly drafted quarterback to be benched and then resurface as a long-term starter with that team, but two players from the 2023 draft are attempting such climbs anyway. Anthony Richardson has followed Bryce Young in being benched during the first half of his second season.

Like the Panthers’ Young benching, this is not viewed as a temporary reset that will assure Richardson of a path back into the lineup this season. Shane Steichen confirmed Wednesday (via CBS4’s Mike Chappell) that Joe Flacco is the team’s starter going forward.

Unlike the Jets’ 2022 Zach Wilson benching, Richardson will only drop to the No. 2 spot on the depth chart. Steichen confirmed (via ESPN.com’s Stephen Holder) the 2023 No. 4 overall pick will be Flacco’s top backup in Week 9. While Steichen said on multiple occasions Flacco is the team’s QB from this point on, the Colts are not giving up on Richardson in the long term. While Steichen had said Richardson playing was his best route to development, the Indy HC is backtracking on that now.

“I know I said that,” Steichen said, via ESPN.com’s Stephen Holder. “Things change. So I think right now, sitting back and seeing a veteran that’s done it at a high level for a long time, you can develop that way as well

“… It’s a difficult thing. But it’s my obligation to the 53 guys in this organization to win football games, and right now, I’m focused on the present: winning football games. We’ll get to the future when we have to get to the future.”

Given Richardson’s woeful work in the passing game this season and his highly unusual move to take himself out of the Colts’ Week 8 game for a play due to fatigue — a decision that has brought tremendous backlash — the Colts made a predictable call. Richardson’s 44.4% completion rate this season is 15 points down from his 2023 showing and doubles as the fifth-lowest mark through six games in the 21st century. For a second straight year, Flacco will step in as an emergency backup for a fringe playoff contender.

This will be a fine line for the Colts to walk, as Richardson is signed through 2026 but has seen the team that drafted him already bail on its initial experiment. The Colts turned to Richardson after several Flacco-like retreads did not provide stability. Philip Rivers was the best of that bunch, but the Colts rostered the potential Hall of Famer in his final season. Beyond Rivers, the likes of Jacoby Brissett, Carson Wentz and Matt Ryan worked as Week 1 starters following Andrew Luck‘s retirement. The Colts turned to Gardner Minshew last season, and while they wanted to re-sign the veteran, the Raiders’ offer (two years, $25MM) came in well north of where Indy was comfortable spending on a backup.

Minshew’s insertion into Indianapolis’ starting lineup provided a boost to the team’s passing game, with Michael Pittman Jr. establishing career-high marks en route to an offseason extension. Flacco, who replaced Deshaun Watson and formed immediate connections with Amari Cooper and David Njoku last season, stands to be a better option to deliver on-target passes to the likes of Pittman, Josh Downs, Alec Pierce and Adonai Mitchell. Steichen selling this to his locker room is easier than continuing to trot out Richardson, who has not developed the way the organization had hoped.

Flacco boasts an 8-to-1 TD-INT ratio this season and threw for 359 yards in one of his two starts as a Colt, but he is 39 and signed to a one-year, $4MM deal. The Colts were the only team to offer him a contract this offseason, despite his Comeback Player of the Year season occurring in Cleveland — where the former Super Bowl MVP wanted to stay. Flacco’s role will be to attempt to help a 4-4 Indy squad to the playoffs, but Richardson’s long-term status remains the more interesting part of this equation.

Young is viewed as a potential 2025 trade candidate. Considering the Colts’ issues finding a long-term QB post-Luck, it stands to reason Richardson will have another chance. The team drafted Richardson as a raw prospect, one whose lone college starter season produced a 53.8% completion rate, and has only seen him start 10 games. Through that lens, this represents a quick hook, but as the Colts compete for the playoffs, they will shift Richardson’s development into the background.

Although players like Phil Simms, Alex Smith and Drew Brees managed to overcome early-career benchings en route to long starter runs — the latter two, however, did not become surefire long-term options until leaving their initial clubs — there are not many examples of the same franchise circling back to a QB it benched. Richardson’s unique profile should still give him a chance to buck the trend, but he has a long way to go. Rumors about his future figure to swirl between now and the Colts’ 2025 offseason program.

Colts To Start Joe Flacco In Week 9

October 29th, 2024 at 11:02pm CST by Adam La Rose

Not long after Colts head coach Shane Steichen left the door open to a quarterback change, the team is indeed taking that route. Joe Flacco will get the nod over Anthony Richardson in Week 9, as first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Jeremy Fowler.

Flacco has already made four appearances and a pair of starts this season, but this will mark the first time in which he sees action while Richardson is healthy. The latter has struggled with accuracy issues during the 2024 season, one in which expectations were high for a notable step forward. Richardson also drew criticism for his decision to pull himself from the game in Week 8, something which was addressed by the team yesterday.

When speaking to the media on Monday, Steichen said Richardson temporarily remained atop the QB depth chart while adding an evaluation would be needed before naming a starter for the next contest. That process has now taken place, with Flacco getting the nod. The 39-year-old will take over on offense as the 4-4 Colts look to remain in the thick of the AFC playoff race.

Flacco’s NFL future was very much in doubt until the midway point of last season, when he took a depth role with the Browns. In short order, he found himself in place as Cleveland’s starter and helped guide the team to the postseason. The former Super Bowl MVP preferred to remain in place, but the team looked elsewhere for depth options under center. With Gardner Minshew pricing himself out of Indy, the Colts became the only team to make Flacco an offer.

Whereas Richardson has struggled to find consistent accuracy in 2024, Flacco has managed a completion percentage of 65.7% while throwing seven touchdowns (against just one interception). Avoiding turnovers – something which was an issue with Cleveland last year – will be key moving forward as the Colts’ offense looks for stability. Of course, Flacco does not offer Richardson’s rushing upside, but the return of running back Jonathan Taylor should help compensate for that.

Selected fourth overall last year, Richardson was understood to be a long-term developmental project after a college career which did not include many starts. Injuries limited the Florida product to just six games during his rookie campaign, and an oblique ailment cost him time this year. In all, Richardson has just 10 regular season starts to his name. After committing to a trial-by-fire approach with the 22-year-old, Steichen hinted the Colts may change their philosophy moving forward. That has certainly proven to be the case, and he will now be sidelined as Flacco (a pending free agent) takes over.

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