Joe Flacco is coming back for another season.
The longtime quarterback and the league’s reigning Comeback Player of the Year signed a one-year, $8.7 million deal with the Indianapolis Colts on Wednesday, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The deal includes $4.5 million in guaranteed money.
Former Browns QB and NFL Comeback Player of the Year winner Joe Flacco reached agreement with the Indianapolis Colts, per sources. It’s a one-year deal worth up to $8.7 million, including $4.5 million guaranteed. Flacco to Indy. pic.twitter.com/e9aNkQGfaG
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 13, 2024
Flacco played in five games last season with the Cleveland Browns, who signed him after starter Deshaun Watson went down with a season-ending shoulder injury. Flacco went 4-1 with the Browns and got them to the playoffs, though they were knocked out in the wild-card round by the Houston Texans.
Flacco threw for 1,616 yards and had 13 touchdowns and eight interceptions last season, his 16th in the league after the Baltimore Ravens took him with the No. 18 overall pick in 2008. Flacco also became the first quarterback in league history to throw for more than 250 yards and multiple touchdowns in his first five games with a new team.
The 39-year-old, who led the Ravens to a Super Bowl win in 2013, has thrown for 43,936 yards and 245 touchdowns in his career. After spending 11 seasons with the Ravens, Flacco played one season for the Denver Broncos and three for the New York Jets before landing in Cleveland. The Colts will mark his fifth team in the league.
Flacco will now presumably back up Colts starter Anthony Richardson next season. The Colts selected Richardson with the No. 4 overall pick in last year’s draft out of Florida, though he played in just four games due to a season-ending shoulder injury. He threw for 577 yards and had seven total touchdowns while going 2-2 in that stretch. The Colts finished the season with a 9-8 record and missed the playoffs for a third straight year after turning to Gardner Minshew in Richardson’s absence.
Though he may not be starting anymore, Flacco is undoubtedly a great veteran presence to help Richardson in what will essentially be his first full season in the league.
Daniel Miller is a sports fanatic who lives and breathes athletics. His coverage spans from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis for sports enthusiasts.
