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.
Watson has a fully guaranteed contract… they are gonna have to offer him even more to get him to restructure anything at all. A bed they made out of stupidity
He’ll probably take the restructure, if they offer it. He’s getting the money either way, but if he wants any type of team around him, it’d benefit him to take it.
Everything Cleveland has done, from the trade, to the contract they gave Watson, has been a failure of epic proportions, though. Worst series of moves in NFL history, by far. They’re completely stuck with him for the duration of the contract.
The irony being they could have a QB such as Flacco under center for a fraction of the cost, and they looked better with Joe at the helm.
The Browns literally negotiated it in his contract that they don’t need Watson’s permission to restructure it. They did it last year and they’ll probably do it again this year.
He’s getting all the money either way. They don’t need to give him anything else to restructure it.
Who’s in play to want Flacco as QB1? Only team I could maybe think of is Vikings as a bridge QB if….IF!!!….they move off of Kirk and don’t move up to get a passer in draft.
Even if the QBOTF is drafted.
Cousins, Musgrove, Dobbs all moving on.
Only Hall is left.
But Flacco wants a starter role minus the teams that take a QB in top 15 draft who else is left? Jets have Rodgers. Raiders have Aidan if they don’t move up
Flacco looked great down the stretch, but I wouldn’t even be eager to give him high end backup money. After the last few years, I think those few games are more likely to be a dead cat bounce than his level of play for another full season or more.
Sign Flacco. Now. Watson is a mess physically & mentally. Gonna need a real QB.
Flacco’s playoff flop is what the Browns and any other team should expect from Joe going forward. It was a Super Bowl one and done. Since then Flacco has coasted with a bare interest in playing football, looking for all the world, that he’s out there just to collect a paycheque with a minimum viable effort.
If the Steelers aren’t going to bring in a Fields type to really compete with Pickett to be the guy, they should AT LEAST get a guy like Flacco who can play and mentor.
In the end, they want what’s considered “soft competition” for Pickett. Fields coming here would be an admission of a draft flop as Fields is a better athlete, better QB, and younger
Wilson coming here would mean Pickett holds the clipboard. Same with Cousins
I doubt they even seriously try to resign Rudolph as the players want him to be number 1
So yeah, this guy, Tannehill. You can almost count on it
Steelers say NO NO TO FLAKECO
If your serious about them signing Flacco, then they might as well sign Roethlisberger
Browns better do something: we saw what an effectively run offense looks like for a few weeks and I do not care what any other fellow browns fan says, Watson isn’t it. Howell Darnold, anyone needs to be brought in as insurance.
I’m a little more pessimistic about the way this ends than a typical Browns fan, so I don’t really disagree with you. I like DTR but they need a veteran backup.
Watson never really seemed like a fit in a Stefanski offense, and maybe making changes to the coaching staff could help since they brought in guys who are more suited to Watson (pretty much the entire offensive coaching staff has been there since Baker, and obviously he was a completely different type of player). I’m sure they’ll add another solid receiver to help out too.
Pretty much this entire offseason looks like it’s about catering to Watson’s play style, so if he can’t figure it out next year then it’s never happening.
Being the browns fan I am Watson to me feels more like buying a used BMW for more than you should have off one of those shady buy here pay here lots simply because you wanted that style rather than a certified preowned Toyota from a reputable dealership.
It was fun to watch Joe pull a rabbit out of the hat but even the best magician knows you eventually have to deal with reality. Flacco’s days of being an effective starter on a consistent basis are over. Only a team intent on tanking would think otherwise and sign him for starter money.