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Joe Flacco served as somewhat of a savior for the Cleveland Browns last season after helping them make it to the NFL Playoffs. The franchise signed him mid-season to take over as their starting quarterback after Deshaun Watson suffered a season-ending shoulder injury. The veteran helped save them from a lost season and even won the NFL Comeback Player of the Year award.
Despite his success in Cleveland, it appears that the Browns will be going in a different direction with their backup quarterback this year. They recently signed Jameis Winston during the 2024 NFL free agency period, so it appears that Joe Flacco, who is also a free agent, will need to find a new team. Here are some potential landing spots that make sense for his current situation.
Joe Flacco free agency landing spots ranked
While his days of being a full-time starting quarterback are likely behind him at this point, Joe Flacco can still be an asset for certain teams in the right situation. He can ideally serve as a veteran back-up as injury insurance for a starter, or be a transitional starter for a team developing a younger quarterback. Here are the three teams that seem to be the fit for Flacco.
#3 - Cincinnati Bengals
Unfortunately for the Cincinnati Bengals, superstar quarterback Joe Burrow has suffered major season-ending injuries in two of his four NFL seasons so far. His injury last year derailed their 2023 NFL season, resulting in missing out on the NFL Playoffs, despite being among the preseason favorites to compete for a Super Bowl.
When Burrow went down last year, it was Jake Browning who replaced him. Joe Flacco would potentially be a major upgrade to their backup role, which could be extremely valuable given Burrow's alarming injury history.
#2 - Indianapolis Colts
Anthony Richardson appeared to be on his way to a breakout rookie season with the Indianapolis Colts last year before suffering a season-ending injury of his own. This resulted in Gardner Minshew stepping in and doing an excellent job of keeping them in the race for the postseason.
The issue is that Minshew departed for the Las Vegas Raiders during the 2024 NFL free-agency period. With uncertainty surrounding Richardson's health, and the team hoping to compete for the playoffs again, bringing in a solid back-up like Flacco makes a ton of sense.
#1 - Minnesota Vikings
Kirk Cousins recently made the shocking decision to depart the Minnesota Vikings during the 2024 NFL free agency period and instead sign with the Atlanta Falcons. This leaves the franchise with a major need at the quarterback position. While they are expected by many to select one in the 2024 NFL Draft, their 11th overall pick suggests that they will miss out on at least the top three prospects.
The Vikings may have to settle for more of a developmental quarterback, rather than one of the three elite prospects. They may choose to also bring a veteran to be their starter for the short-term while they transition to their potential future quarterback. Joe Flacco is an ideal choice to do so with all of his veteran leadership and experience.
