Joe Flacco

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.

Joe Flacco Only Received Offer From Colts?

October 7th, 2024 at 4:41pm CST by Adam La Rose

Joe Flacco made his first Colts start on Sunday, and his performance carried over from his surprising run with the Browns last season. The 39-year-old passer’s Cleveland success did not lead to a strong free agent market, however.

After the Colts’ 37-34 loss, Flacco informed CBS Sports’ Aditi Kinkhabwala the Colts were the only team which made an offer during the spring. A report from March indicated the Eagles had made an offer for the former Super Bowl MVP to return to Philadelphia. Flacco served as the Eagles’ backup for a brief stretch in 2021, but he did not see any game action.

Since then, he spent time with the Jets and Browns, taking over as Cleveland’s top option not long after he was merely added as veteran insurance under center. Deshaun Watson‘s season-ending shoulder injury eventually resulted in Flacco making five starts at the end of the campaign. He averaged 323 passing yards per game during that stretch, throwing 13 touchdowns. The longtime Ravens starter wanted to remain in Cleveland for the current season as part of his goal of playing for the next two years. As was recently confirmed, though, the Browns did not make an offer to Flacco.

Cleveland has Watson on the books through 2026, and despite his struggles he will remain atop the depth chart. Jameis Winston was added to fill the role of veteran backup, a decision which left Flacco free to move on. The latter took a one-year, $4.5MM pact to head to Indianapolis on the open market. The Colts were interested in retaining Gardner Minshew after he served as the team’s starter for much of last season, but he received a more lucrative deal from the Raiders than Indianapolis was prepared to offer.

When taking into account Flacco’s relief performance in Week 4 following Anthony Richardson‘s hip injury, he has amassed five touchdowns without an interceptions along with a 70% completion percentage. Flacco has averaged nearly nine yards per attempt and posted a 115.6 passer rating during that brief stretch. Continuing that impressive output would not be expected over an extended period, and Richardson could be back to full health in time for Week 6.

Last year’s No. 4 pick has struggled to date, but he will retain starting duties once healthy. If Flacco is called upon again, though, he could continue to guide the team’s offense effectively and help his 2025 market value in the process.

Browns Did Not Submit Offer To Joe Flacco

September 30th, 2024 at 11:07am CST by Sam Robinson

In a development that probably pleased an assortment of fantasy GMs tied to Colts wide receivers, Joe Flacco stepped in after Anthony Richardson‘s minor hip injury and stabilized Indianapolis’ passing attack Sunday. The NFL’s second-oldest active quarterback, behind Aaron Rodgers, showed he remains a viable relief option.

Flacco executed this routine for an extended period last season in Cleveland, rescuing a Browns team that had lost Deshaun Watson to a shoulder fracture. Despite not making his season debut until December, Flacco won Comeback Player of the Year honors after directing the Browns to an 11-6 season and a wild-card spot. The longtime Ravens starter had expressed continued interest in a second Browns season, but the team went in a different direction by signing Jameis Winston. The Colts then landed Flacco, who signed a one-year deal worth $4.5MM.

This contract is Flacco’s most lucrative since his Ravens extension expired after a season in Denver, and while the Colts have since seen the 17th-year veteran remains capable, the Browns did not want him back. Flacco confirmed, via Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, he never received an offer to stay in Cleveland.

The former Super Bowl MVP had previously said he was surprised the Browns did not re-sign him, but a market did exist. Prior to committing to Shane Steichen‘s team, Flacco received an offer to return to the Eagles. The Colts did not rule out re-signing Gardner Minshew, but his price moved well beyond the team’s comfort zone. With the Raiders agreeing to terms with Minshew on a two-year, $25MM deal hours into the legal tampering period, the Colts pivoted to Flacco as Richardson insurance.

The AFC South team needed to cash in on that early, and although Richardson might not miss any time due to the hip pointer he sustained against the Steelers, Flacco proved a more accurate passer than the dynamic second-year starter. Richardson entered Week 4 with an NFL-low 49% completion rate; Flacco completed 61.5% of his throws (16-for-26, 168 yards) and tossed two touchdown passes against Pittsburgh.

While Indianapolis is not planning to sit Richardson to aid his development, Cleveland is stuck with Watson due to authorizing a fully guaranteed $230MM contract in 2022. Watson has wildly underwhelmed, costing an otherwise well-built Browns team. Winston came to Ohio after four seasons with the Saints. The former No. 1 overall pick lost his job to Andy Dalton in 2022 and backed up Derek Carr last season, but the Browns had sought him over Flacco.

In March, Watson supported a Winston signing. The Browns gave him a one-year, $4MM deal. Cleveland had considered a reunion with Jacoby Brissett but did not want to match the $8MM offered from the Patriots. The team was believed to have viewed Flacco as a backup plan in the event Winston and Brissett ended up elsewhere, and the fallout from this QB2 chapter ended a stunningly productive partnership.

Given Flacco’s performance last season, calls undoubtedly for him to replace Watson would be ever-present in Cleveland had the sides huddled on on the reunion the late-3o-something wanted. But he is now in the role Minshew played effectively last season. Indy deciding to rest Richardson would lead to more work from the 12-year starter-turned-QB2 nomad.

Giants’ Offseason QB Pitch Highlighted Previous Backup Success

July 17th, 2024 at 8:53pm CST by Ely Allen

HBO’s Hard Knocks: Offseason continues to deliver nuggets of information and context that otherwise would not have been made available to the public. In the series’ most recent episode, we became privy to some details on the development of the Giants’ backup quarterback situation this offseason.

One area that the series shed light on was the departure of backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor. The show displayed that both general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll showed confidence that Taylor would re-sign with the team, while beat reporters like Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post and Dan Dugger of The Athletic were both under the impression that Taylor had no interest in staying with New York.

The team had turned to Taylor to start for an injured Daniel Jones in Week 6 of the 2023 season but saw Taylor exit with a rib injury three weeks later. Taylor would eventually return around Week 14, but the Giants made the decision to stick with undrafted rookie quarterback Tommy DeVito, who had gone 3-1 in four starts filling in for Jones and Taylor. Two weeks later, DeVito was benched in a second straight losing effort as Taylor retook the reins for the remainder of the season.

Dunleavy claimed that Taylor was “very disheartened by how last season played out after his injury,” leading to the assumption that the veteran was not interested in returning. Duggan echoed this sentiment, saying that he “got the sense that (Taylor) was ready to move on after how last season unfolded.” Taylor eventually signed with the Jets, opting to serve as the primary backup for another starter who spent most of last season on injured reserve.

Following the loss of Taylor, the team explored a number of options to replace him, clearly seeing a need for quality with Jones’ injury history. The series showed that veteran names like Sam Darnold and Joe Flacco were floated around the building before the team ultimately landed on Drew Lock as their target.

A couple of months ago, we touched on a rumor that Jones’ injury history was part of the pitch that lured Lock to New York, with the team pointing at the success that former backups like Taylor and Mitch Trubisky have had finding contracts following their time with the Giants. That was seemingly confirmed in this week’s episode, showing that, whereas other teams had tried to sell Lock a potentially unrealistic chance to start, New York touted their history of getting backup passers back on their feet.

Regardless of how they got there, both parties appear to be in a good place now. Lock stands a better chance at seeing the field in New York (based on Jones’ injury history), and the Giants now roster one of the league’s most promising young backups as their QB2.

NFL Active Leaders In Career Earnings

July 13th, 2024 at 10:00pm CST by Ben Levine

Kirk Cousins‘ four-year, $180MM deal with the Falcons this season vaulted him up the list of active career earners. This was by virtue of his $50MM signing bonus, adding to the more than $231MM he earned from the Commanders and (mostly) the Vikings throughout his career. Even under the worst-case scenario, Cousins will still see at least another $50MM come his way via his contract with Atlanta, which would push his career earnings north of $331MM.

While the soon-to-be 36-year-old Cousins will surely see a significant portion of the $80MM worth of unguaranteed money on his contract, he’ll still be hard pressed to catch Aaron Rodgers on the career-earnings list. Rodgers earned more than $306MM during his long tenure in Green Bay, and he’s already made close to $37MM during his one season in New York (mostly via the $35MM signing bonus on his reworked pact).

With at least $40MM of additional guarantees coming his way from the Jets, Rodgers will continue to grow his lead as the highest-earning NFL player of all time. Both Rodgers and Matthew Stafford were able to leap Tom Brady among the NFL’s highest all-time earners over the past year.

With all that said, we’ve listed the 25 active players who have earned the most money in their NFL careers (h/t to OverTheCap.com). While this list is up to date, it doesn’t account for soon-to-realized salaries for the 2024 campaign. This list is also solely focused on NFL cash and does not include off-the-field earnings:

QB Aaron Rodgers: $343MM
QB Matthew Stafford: $328MM
QB Russell Wilson: $305MM
QB Kirk Cousins: $281MM
QB Jared Goff: $234MM
LB Von Miller: $179MM
QB Joe Flacco: $177MM
OT Trent Williams: $171MM
QB Derek Carr: $165MM
LB Khalil Mack: $162MM
QB Dak Prescott: $161MM
DL Aaron Donald: $157MM
QB Jimmy Garoppolo: $150MM
DE Calais Campbell: $143MM
QB Deshaun Watson: $142MM
QB Patrick Mahomes: $136MM
DE Joey Bosa: $134MM
DL Leonard Williams: $134MM
WR Mike Evans: $132MM
QB Carson Wentz: $130MM
WR DeAndre Hopkins: $128MM
WR Stefon Diggs: $126MM
DE Cameron Jordan: $126MM
OT Lane Johnson: $121MM
DT Chris Jones: $120MM

Joe Flacco Was “Little Bit” Surprised He Didn’t Re-Sign With Browns

April 6th, 2024 at 10:47pm CST by Ben Levine

Before he landed with the Colts, Joe Flacco was expecting to re-sign with the Browns. After previously stating a desire to stick in Cleveland, the veteran QB told NFL.com’s Nick Shook that he was a “little bit” surprised that he didn’t end up re-signing with the organization.

In 2023, Flacco didn’t find a deal until November when he caught on with Cleveland’s practice squad. With Deshaun Watson out for the season and Dorian Thompson-Robinson sidelined with a concussion, the stopgap was inserted into the starting lineup late in the season.

Flacco unexpectedly guided the Browns to a 4-1 record in his five starts, earning Comeback Player of the Year after completing 60.3 percent of his passes for 1,616 yards, 13 touchdowns, and eight interceptions. He also started Cleveland’s lone playoff game, a blowout loss to the Texans.

Still, following an underwhelming 2022 stint with the Jets, Flacco’s 2023 campaign put him firmly back on the QB2 map. In addition to the Colts, Flacco also received interest from the Eagles.

“It was obviously a little bit different than last offseason, when I didn’t get any calls at all,” Flacco said of his 2024 free agent experience. “But even this offseason, I wasn’t really sure how it was going to go. It wasn’t like I played a ton of games last year or anything like that, but definitely grateful for Indy to reach out and have this as an opportunity.”

While Flacco’s re-emergence was a great story in Cleveland, Shook notes that the veteran didn’t fit the archetype that the organization was seeking behind Watson. The Browns ended up pivoting to a pair of new backups, adding both Jameis Winston and Tyler Huntley to the mix at quarterback.

While Flacco was brought in to Cleveland to plug a temporary hole in the starting lineup, he was signed by the Colts to serve as a mentor to Anthony Richardson. In the ideal scenario, the 39-year-old Flacco would barely see the field in 2024, but the former Super Bowl MVP is more than comfortable in that role.

“Listen, I’ve kind of been in this role for a handful of years now,” Flacco said. “Obviously, last year was a little bit different cause I wasn’t anywhere, I was able to come in and play pretty quickly. But yeah, it’s just about being in the room with him and a lot of conversations naturally come up when you spend so much time together in a row. It’s just kind of I think being able to bring the experience and being able to help him simplify things and go out there and play fast and use his skillset the way he wants to.”

Eagles Made Offer To QB Joe Flacco

March 21st, 2024 at 6:54pm CST by Sam Robinson

An intra-Pennsylvania trade generated considerable attention, but prior to the Eagles acquiring Kenny Pickett from the Steelers, they had what would have been an interesting reunion in mind.

Joe Flacco has gone from waiting until November to be signed to receiving multiple offers in free agency. Before Flacco committed to the Colts, ProFootballNetwork.com’s Adam Caplan notes the Eagles submitted an offer for him to come back to Philadelphia.

The Eagles will turn to Pickett behind Jalen Hurts, but they were interested in Flacco reprising the backup role he held briefly in 2021. The New Jersey native signed with the Eagles three years ago but never saw any game action. Philly had acquired Gardner Minshew via trade, as Urban Meyer ended the strange run of Minshew receiving first-team reps ahead of Trevor Lawrence‘s rookie year. Weeks later, the Eagles sent Flacco back to the Jets, who had seen Zach Wilson go down with a knee injury.

Flacco, 39, will now replace Minshew as Anthony Richardson‘s Colts backup. Indianapolis landed the 17th-year veteran on a one-year deal with $4.5MM guaranteed. Flacco had wanted to stay with the Browns, expressing his fondness for Cleveland on several occasions during a stunning run to Comeback Player of the Year honors. Despite Flacco piloting a depleted Browns offense to the playoffs, the team eyed Jameis Winston and Jacoby Brissett instead of authorizing a second contract. Winston is now Deshaun Watson‘s backup.

Philly had been on the lookout for a backup quarterback to replace Marcus Mariota, CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson indicated, and Pickett will step into that role. The Eagles have the former No. 20 overall pick signed through 2025; he is due guarantees of $1.98MM (2024) and $2.62MM (2025). Reports out of Pittsburgh pointed to Pickett wanting out once he learned Russell Wilson would be given the starting job; the third-year passer will certainly not be a threat to Hurts. Mariota signed with the Commanders early in free agency.

Richardson is recovering from shoulder surgery, but last year’s No. 4 overall pick has resumed throwing. Still, Richardson needed to leave multiple games due to injury last year; he is a raw talent who possesses a dual-threat skillset. After Flacco did not sign with a team until Nov. 20 last year — and that came initially as a Browns practice squad deal — it seems likely he will be needed at some point for the 2024 Colts. If Flacco plays 60% of the Colts’ offensive snaps, he can pocket $1MM, Caplan adds.

Colts, QB Joe Flacco Agree To Deal

March 13th, 2024 at 11:14pm CST by Adam La Rose

Joe Flacco enjoyed a highly impressive late-season re-emergence with the Browns in 2023, but Cleveland elected to add Jameis Winston as a backup quarterback for 2024. Flacco has found a new opportunity for next season, though.

The reigning Comeback Player of the Year has agreed to a one-year deal with the Colts, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. He adds the contract is worth up to $8.7MM and includes $4.5MM guaranteed. Flacco will thus be able to meet his stated goal of continuing his career for at least one more season, while taking the place of Gardner Minshew as the Colts’ backup to Anthony Richardson. Adam Caplan of Pro Football Network reports the Flacco pact includes incentives for playing time, wins, a playoff berth and postseason victories totaling $3.7MM.

Minshew agreed to a two-year deal with the Raiders at the onset of the negotiating window. That pact includes $15MM guaranteed and can be worth up to $25MM, leading many to believe he could compete for the starting role in Vegas. The Browns, meanwhile, inked Winston to a one-year deal worth a similar maximum value to the one Flacco has taken. Now, the latter and Indianapolis have struck a deal to meet each other’s needs.

Cleveland endured a slew of injuries on offense in 2023, including Deshaun Watson being lost for the campaign with a shoulder injury. The team identified Flacco as an insurance option for its other passers, but in short order it was the former Super Bowl MVP at the helm. Flacco took on starting duties to close out the regular season, averaging a stunning 323 passing yards per game. Without Nick Chubb in the fold, it was the 39-year-old’s play (coupled with a stout defense) which guided the Browns into the postseason (during which time, to be fair, his interception troubles became a major issue).

Both player and team expressed a willingness to work out a deal, with Flacco publicly stating his preference to remain in Cleveland. It had been expected that the longtime Ravens starter would reach the market, however, and the Winston deal confirmed the Browns would not pursue a re-up. Now, Flacco will take on a new QB2 role behind Richardson, whose rookie season was limited to just four games.

After being drafted fourth overall last April, Richardson joined Indianapolis with the expectation he would put an end to the team’s search for a permanent Andrew Luck successor. A healthy campaign will go a long way to determining his ability to reach that target. Flacco, meanwhile, will be in place as a capable backup after Minshew nearly did enough for the Colts to win the division in 2023 upon taking the reins. The former has stated an intention of playing at least two more years, and a strong showing in 2024 would help his chances of doing so.

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