QB Joe Flacco and the Browns are reuniting on a one-year deal, according to his agent.
.jpg)
Sure! Here's a rewritten version of the article with a more concise and polished tone:
Joe Flacco Returns to Browns on One-Year Deal Worth Up to $13M
Veteran quarterback Joe Flacco is heading back to Cleveland. Flacco and the Browns have agreed to a one-year, $4 million contract that could reach $13 million with incentives, his agent Joe Linta told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Friday. The Browns confirmed the deal but did not disclose terms.
Flacco, 39, won NFL Comeback Player of the Year in 2023 after stepping in for the injured Deshaun Watson and leading the Browns to a 4-1 record in his five regular-season starts. He passed for over 300 yards in four of those games, revitalizing a team that had cycled through four quarterbacks during the season. Cleveland ultimately fell in the wild-card round to the Houston Texans.
Flacco had also been in talks with the Steelers and Vikings but chose to return for his 18th NFL season with the Browns. Co-owner Jimmy Haslam recently hinted Flacco was still in the team's plans.
Cleveland’s quarterback room now features Flacco, Deshaun Watson—recovering from a torn Achilles—and newly acquired Kenny Pickett. Watson may miss most or all of the 2025 season, while Pickett was told he’d have a shot at the starting job.
The Browns passed on re-signing backup Jameis Winston and instead traded a fifth-round pick and quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson to the Eagles for Pickett. Despite holding the No. 2 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft and meeting with several top QB prospects, Haslam stated the team wouldn't force a quarterback selection.
After his late-season heroics in 2023, Flacco signed with the Colts in 2024 on a one-year, $4.5 million deal. He was eventually named the starter midseason, replacing a struggling Anthony Richardson. Flacco's Colts stint included a 359-yard outing against Jacksonville but ended with back-to-back rough losses and a benching after throwing four combined interceptions. He finished the season 2-4 as a starter with 1,761 passing yards, 12 touchdowns, and 7 interceptions.
Originally drafted by the Ravens in 2008, Flacco has totaled 45,697 passing yards, 257 touchdowns, and 162 interceptions in 17 seasons. He was MVP of Super Bowl XLVII, leading Baltimore past the 49ers.
Notably, Flacco is one of just three quarterbacks with a winning record in a Browns uniform since the franchise's 1999 return, joining Brian Hoyer (10-6) and Case Keenum (2-0).
ESPN’s Stephen Holder contributed to this report.
Want a more casual version or a headline for social media too?