It was a wild season for the Cleveland Browns where Joe Flacco helped them make an appearance in the playoffs.

Flacco signed in November with the Browns and played in a total of six games. In that time he had a 4-2 record and the final loss was in the wild card against the Houston Texans.

Most of his time with the Browns went far above the expectation. The veteran quarterback and former Baltimore Raven will be a topic of discussion for the Browns this off-season. It is a possibility that the Browns bring back the Super Bowl champion.

Outlook on where Joe Flacco and the Browns stand

If all goes as planned with the Browns in 2024, they won’t have to worry about the backup quarterback position. The only thing is that is every team’s plan in the NFL. Cleveland saw firsthand this year that an injury at quarterback can derail you, or at least play a part in it.

Let’s face it, anytime you lose your starting quarterback you’re taking a major hit and odds will be stacked against you. Deshaun Watson was 5-1 as a starter and though he didn’t impress a ton, he showed glimpses in a couple of games that he can be that guy that the Browns need him to be.

You have to have a backup plan, then you have to have a backup plan to that. Rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson was the team's backup but was roughed up in his first start against the stout Ravens and didn’t look quite ready. Then the Browns had to move to P.J. Walker and they had similar turnover issues with him. Late in the season, the Browns turned to Flacco to be the fourth guy thrown in there.

He held things down and got the Browns to the playoffs and that was just about as best-case scenario as it could get, due to the injuries they suffered.

Even at 39 years old now, Flacco can still sling the rock like he is wearing purple. He showed that you can win games with him, though you will have to deal with some turnovers. He makes every throw and is confident in doing so, sometimes it bites him. Other times, bad decisions come about, and that showed in the two-interception game in the playoffs.

Cleveland will want DTR to be the backup next season if things go accordingly, but Flacco could be that third guy. Cleveland is in a good spot with the rookie’s money due to him being a later pick on a rookie contract. Still, you’re going to need a third guy and Andrew Berry was admittedly open that the Browns will carry three on the active roster in the right situation.

Will Joe Flacco end up with the Browns again?

The most important thing here is both sides are going to have separate stipulations. Flacco is at the end of his career and going to want to maximize his value and have a chance to start and be paid as much as possible. Though he loved his time in Cleveland, anyone in his shoes would do the same.

Secondly, the Browns are not going to overpay for a reserve quarterback that they hope never has to throw a pass past the preseason. Cleveland is going to hand out $8 million to a backup, as they didn’t with Jacoby Brissett. It was a similar situation with him, a veteran who had the fan base's support and won football games.

If the two sides come together and can agree on a deal, there’s a legit chance that Flacco will be playing in Cleveland in the fall or 2024. The chance of being a one-year starter or more somewhere would have not happened and options would have to be limited for it to happen in my thinking. If Flacco has similar offers to Cleveland and a situation where he is still going to be a backup somewhere comes about, I’d expect him to come back to the Browns.

Free agency is going to be here before we know it and I wouldn’t expect Flacco to make a decision until late in the cycle. Many free agents hold out on a decision until training camp or later, that may be the case here. 

Browns have a worry on their hands after latest NFL news

We will have to see how it develops.