Skip to main content
Join Now

Report: Cleveland Browns sign Joe Flacco to one-year, $4 million deal

Nick Profile Picby: Nick Geddes04/11/25NickGeddesNews
Joe Flacco
Brad Rempel-Imagn Images

The Cleveland Browns and quarterback Joe Flacco have reached an agreement on a one-year, $4 million deal, per Adam Schefter of ESPN. The deal is worth up to $13 million in incentives, per the report.

Flacco, 40, also spoke with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Minnesota Vikings but will return for an 18th NFL season at a familiar place. Flacco spent the 2023 season with the Browns, winning the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year. Signed off the street in November of that season after a season-ending injury to Deshaun Watson, Flacco started five games down the stretch, leading the Browns to a 4-1 record and a playoff berth.

Flacco threw for 13 touchdowns and eight interceptions in those five regular season starts, proving to teams around the league he still had more to give. He signed a one-year deal with the Indianapolis Colts for 2024, where he began the season as backup to Anthony Richardson. Flacco appeared in eight games and made six starts with Richardson injured and eventually benched for poor performance. He threw for 1,761 yards, 12 touchdowns and seven interceptions on 65.3% passing.

Joe Flacco back to Cleveland for 2025 season

Drafted No. 18 overall in 2008, Flacco has thrown for 45,697 yards, 257 touchdowns and 162 interceptions in 17 seasons. He was named MVP of Super Bowl XLVII when he led the Ravens to a 34-31 victory over the San Francisco 49ers.

The situation this time around is quite similar in Cleveland. Watson’s hurt, having suffered a second torn Achilles in January. Kenny Pickett, acquired from the Philadelphia Eagles, is the only other quarterback on the roster. That leaves Flacco with a chance to start in 2025.

The Browns do, however, own the No. 2 pick in the NFL Draft. They have held private workouts with Miami‘s Cam Ward, Colorado‘s Shedeur Sanders, Ole Miss‘s Jaxson Dart, Louisville‘s Tyler Shough and Alabama‘s Jalen Milroe. But the assumption remains that Cleveland will select either Colorado receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter or Penn State pass rusher Abdul Carter.