Joe Flacco

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.

Browns, Titans, Giants Eyeing QB Jameis Winston

March 12th, 2024 at 9:18am CST by Ben Levine

MARCH 12: In addition to the Browns, CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson reports the Titans and Giants have shown “preliminary interest” in Winston. Tennessee has Will Levis in place as the quarterback of the present and future, but adding an experienced option capable of starting or providing high-end insurance would be a logical move. Malik Willis holds the QB2 spot for now, but the Levis selection last spring has limited his ability to compete for a starting role in Nashville.

The Giants, meanwhile, saw Tyrod Taylor agree to a deal with the Jets yesterday. Linked to drafting a Daniel Jones successor this April, New York will at least need a veteran backup if Jones is unable to start the 2024 season on time as recovers from a torn ACL. Winston would fit the bill, and likely not at an especially high price tag.

MARCH 11: The Browns are hoping for a healthy season from Deshaun Watson in 2024, but that won’t stop the front office from pursuing a top-end backup. While the team navigates Joe Flacco‘s free agency, the Browns are eyeing another notable quarterback. According to Ben Volin of the Boston Globe, the Browns are interested in Jameis Winston as a backup QB.

Winston has been in New Orleans since 2020, and despite several changes atop the depth chart, he’s continued to serve as a fill-in at quarterback. As a result, the former first-overall pick was reportedly seeking a starting gig as he weighs free agent offers this time around. The 30-year-old has not played a full season as a starter since 2019, the year of his infamous 33-touchdown, 30-interception campaign with the Buccaneers

Of course, finding a QB1 job would be easier said than done, as few teams would simply hand the reins to Winston. For what it’s worth, the veteran has looked good as a backup in New Orleans. The Saints have gone 6-4 in Winston’s 10 starts with the organization, and the QB has tossed 20 touchdowns vs. 11 interceptions in his 21 games with New Orleans. He didn’t get a chance to start while serving as Derek Carr‘s back in 2023, with Winston completing only 25 of his 47 pass attempts while tossing two TDs and three interceptions.

The Browns lucked out with their backup plan in 2023. Flacco guided the Browns to a 4-1 record in his five starts, with the former Super Bowl winner finding the fountain of youth while tossing 13 touchdowns, his highest total since 2017. The veteran QB is reportedly looking to stick in Cleveland for the 2024 campaign, and the free agent confirmed that sentiment during a recent appearance on SiriusXM NFL Radio.

“I can tell you that, all things equal, Cleveland is definitely the place where I’d feel best about,” Flacco said (via Myles Simmons of ProFootballTalk.com). “Now, then you have to get into the world of, is someone actually going to give me a chance to play? And all the different things that go into that.

“But I can’t help but have a special feeling about Cleveland, just because of the few weeks that I spent there and how great the city was. And, listen, at the end of the day, I don’t necessarily want that to be a huge part [or] all of the decision. But I do think it will factor into the decision — if I end up having a decision to make.”

Joe Flacco Eyeing New Browns Deal

March 5th, 2024 at 3:43pm CST by Adam La Rose

Joe Flacco is on track to hit free agency with far more value than he had one year ago. If the 39-year-old quarterback has his way, though, he will remain in Cleveland for 2024.

Flacco is among the Browns’ pending free agents, and a recent report noted he was expected to gauge the market for the chance to operate as a starter. He did so to close out the 2023 season – in surprisingly effective fashion – while filling in for the injured Deshaun Watson. The latter will be in place for years to come, though, meaning a new Browns accord would consign Flacco to backup duties.

In spite of that, Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio reports a Cleveland re-up is Flacco’s “first choice.” The former Super Bowl MVP joined midseason after failing to receive much interest following the end of his Jets tenure. He took charge of a severely injured offense down the stretch and helped lead the team to the postseason.

Flacco earned Comeback Player of the Year honors as a result, and he would no doubt be able to land at least a notable backup deal with any number of teams on the open market as he attempts to play two more years. It will be interesting to see how willing the Browns are to entertain talks in the coming days to prevent him from reaching free agency. The team currently has roughly $6.8MM in cap space.

Cleveland is amenable to a new Flacco pact, one which will add further to the cap investments made under center. Watson is currently set to count nearly $64MM against the cap over the next three years, meaning another restructure will be necessary. The Browns also added Dorian Thompson-Robinson in the fifth round of last year’s draft, giving them a young and cost-effective option at the QB spot even if Flacco leaves.

A signing amongst the various bridge options set to hit the market would allow the Browns to maintain depth in the wake of Watson’s season-ending shoulder injury. A number of outside options will be available, but retaining Flacco could wind up being the team’s ultimate direction if his desire to remain in place meshes with Cleveland’s valuation.

Browns’ Joe Flacco, Za’Darius Smith To Test Free Agency

February 27th, 2024 at 12:18pm CST by Adam La Rose

Despite a slew of injury troubles at the quarterback position (among others), the Browns managed to post a record of 11-6 and qualify for the postseason. Joe Flacco was a major part in that success, and he plans on playing through the 2025 campaign.

The 39-year-old may not be in Cleveland for the next chapter of his career, however. Flacco is expected to test free agency in March, Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com reports. In the wake of losing Deshaun Watson for the rest of the season, the Browns added Flacco as a depth quarterback option; he ultimately took over the starting role to close out the regular season, averaging 323 passing yards per game.

While turnover issues presented themselves in the wild-card round in particular, the former Super Bowl MVP earned Comeback Player of the Year honors for his surprise resurgence. The Browns are open to retaining him, but a new Cleveland deal would come with the understanding he would back up Watson. For that reason, Flacco’s desire to gauge his value on a potential deal sending him elsewhere is certainly reasonable.

A number of veteran QBs are set to reach free agency, and Flacco would be one of many available as a bridge starter or high-end backup. As Cabot notes, his preference would an opportunity to at least compete for the No. 1 role with his next team. In the event he were to depart, the Browns would move forward with Watson and 2023 fifth-rounder Dorian Thompson-Robinson atop the depth chart.

One of several front seven additions the Browns made last offseason was the acquisition of edge rusher Za’Darius Smith. The three-time Pro Bowler was tasked with serving as a complement to Myles Garrett, and he finished second on the team with 5.5 sacks. Cabot notes that Smith, like Flacco, will test the market before deciding on his future.

Likewise, the Browns’ preference would be to retain Smith at the right cost. Cleveland has Garrett under contract through 2026, but the team also added Ogbonnia Okoronkwo in free agency last offseason. The latter is signed for the next two seasons, and he would be in line for an increased workload in the event Smith were to depart. Now 31, Smith has managed to play 16 games in each of the past two seasons but his 15 total sacks in that span could lead to lukewarm interest on the market.

The Browns are currently over the 2024 cap by a margin of $7.76MM. That figure will change dramatically once Watson’s pact is inevitably restructured, but the team will still have other priorities beyond retaining Flacco and Smith. It will be worth watching to see how much interest both veterans generate and if Cleveland will be able to match any offers from outside suitors.

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