The Cleveland Browns gave Joe Flacco a chance when no one else would, and he isn’t forgetting that.
Flacco is getting set to hit free agency next week, and he doesn’t know what the future holds. However, it seems like his heart is leaning toward returning to Cleveland.
“I can tell you that, all things equal, Cleveland is definitely the place where I’d feel best about,” Flacco said during an appearance on SiriusXM NFL Radio. “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.”
The Browns signed Flacco to their practice squad in late November and elevated him to the roster in December due to injuries and underwhelming quarterback play overall.
Flacco ended up going 4-1 in five regular-season starts, throwing for 1,616 yards, 13 touchdowns and eight interceptions while completing 60.3 percent of his passes and posting a passer rating of 90.2. That was enough to win him the Comeback Player of the Year award.
But, the 39-year-old ultimately regressed significantly in the playoffs, throwing a couple of pick-sixes in what ended up being a blowout loss to the Houston Texans in the Wild Card Round.
Flacco wants a chance to start somewhere, and he knows that if he returns to Cleveland, he will be a backup to Deshaun Watson. He said he understands that, but it seems like he would be okay with 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,” Flacco said. “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. … I can honestly say, Cleveland is an unbelievable place and it definitely will hold special value when I make those decisions.”
The Browns would surely love to have Flacco back at the right price, so we’ll see if the two sides are able to reach an agreement in the coming weeks.
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