Joe Flacco\u00a0enjoyed his time with the\u00a0Cleveland Browns\u00a0but the veteran quarterback is expected to gauge the market before locking up a return.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Flacco\u00a0signed with the Browns\u00a0after\u00a0Deshaun Watson\u00a0suffered a season-ending injury in November. He\u00a0provided a spark\u00a0for the Browns\u2019 offense in the regular season, going 4-1 in his starts. He\u00a0passed for 1,616 yards, 13 touchdowns and 8 interceptions. His play earned him Comeback Player of the Year honors and allowed the injury-plagued Browns to lock up their first playoff spot since 2020.<\/p>\n
Flacco did not shine as brightly in the postseason. He tossed a pair of\u00a0costly pick-sixes\u00a0against the\u00a0Houston Texans\u00a0during a 45-14 Wild Card thumping.<\/p>\n
The Browns will have an opportunity to bring Flacco back next season. The team could also try to\u00a0sign him to an extension\u00a0before free agency if both sides agree. But Browns insider Mary Kay Cabot expects Flacco to test the market before making a decision.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think Flacco will test the market to see if any teams were inspired by his 4-1 performance with the Browns, and also to set his price,\u201d\u00a0Cabot wrote in her latest Q&A column on February 25. \u201cAfter getting a taste of starting again, he certainly doesn\u2019t want to ride the bench if he can avoid it, especially at the age of 39. He knows this is his chance to utilize what\u2019s left in the tank, and he won\u2019t want to waste it. He\u2019ll also see if a team is willing to pay the $8 million or so that Brissett got from the Commanders last season. If a chance to start doesn\u2019t materialize, he\u2019ll happily come back here.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"Joe](\"https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/GettyImages-1931021764-6-e1708975077761.jpg?quality=65&strip=all&w=782\")
<\/h2>\nPart of the issue with Flacco returning to the Browns is that he will not have a chance to start. Despite Flacco\u2019s stellar showing last season, the Browns will roll with Watson \u2014 their\u00a0$230 million quarterback. Watson is expected to be ready for training camp after shoulder surgery.<\/p>\n
That being said, Flacco has established himself as a folk hero of sorts in Cleveland. And he\u2019s gushed about his\u00a0time with the Browns.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow lucky was I to get on a team that was ready to make a run like that and to be around a bunch of great guys in the locker room,\u201d Flacco said on the\u00a0\u201cPardon My Take\u201d podcast\u00a0on January 18. \u201cThere was something special about being there and how people treated me. I felt a lot of love and my family did as well. \u2026 You could feel the excitement in the city. They are craving some playoff wins and a chance at that Super Bowl.\u201d<\/p>\n
If that starting opportunity does not manifest for Flacco, it appears that Cleveland would be at the top of his list.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\u201cI\u2019m open to be back in Cleveland, but I don\u2019t want to rush to any decisions,\u201d Flacco said. \u201cI can\u2019t say enough good things about how this organization is being run right now.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/GettyImages-1930970641-1-e1708975036918.jpg?quality=65&strip=all&w=782\")
<\/h2>\nAnother potential hurdle in bringing back Flacco is the effect it could have on Watson. Since being traded to the Browns in 2022, Watson has appeared in just 12 games and his play has been uneven. Watson has\u00a0passed for 2,217 yards, 14 touchdowns and 9 interceptions with the Browns.<\/p>\n
If Watson struggles in his return, it could create a potential \u201cQB controversy\u201d in Cleveland. But Browns GM Andrew Berry does not see that happening.<\/p>\n
\u201cZero considerations,\u201d\u00a0Berry said\u00a0about the potential \u201cpolarity\u201d around a decision to bring Flacco back. \u201cBecause of how both individuals are, it\u2019s not a concern internally at all.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Browns are expected to carry three quarterbacks next season.\u00a0Dorian Thompson-Robinson\u00a0will either function as the backup or No. 3 option, depending on how free agency shakes out for the Browns.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Joe Flacco\u00a0enjoyed his time with the\u00a0Cleveland Browns\u00a0but the veteran quarterback is expected to gauge the market before locking up a return. Flacco\u00a0signed with the Browns\u00a0after\u00a0Deshaun Watson\u00a0suffered a… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-96579","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-nfl"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/aweu.info\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/96579","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/aweu.info\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/aweu.info\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aweu.info\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aweu.info\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=96579"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/aweu.info\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/96579\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/aweu.info\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=96579"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aweu.info\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=96579"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aweu.info\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=96579"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}