The Cleveland Browns and veteran quarterback Joe Flaco have reached an agreement on a one-year, $4 million contract, his agent Joe Linta told ESPN’s Adam Shefater on Friday.
The deal brought Flacco back to Cleveland, winning the NFL Comeback Player of the Year Award in 2023.
The contract is worth up to $13 million in incentives. The Browns also announced an agreement with Flacco on Friday without disclosing terms.
Flacco also spoke with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Minnesota Vikings, but chose to spend their 18th NFL season with the Browns. Co-owner Jimmy Haslam told a group of local reporters at the NFL’s annual meeting that Flacco remains an option for the team.
Flacco joined the quarterback room alongside Dehaun Watson, who could miss most or all of the 2025 season after stolen the right Achilles heel and missed most or all of the 2025 season, and Kenny Pickett, who traded with Cleveland, said he was told he would get a chance to become the starting quarterback.
The Browns were looking for a quarterback this offseason after using four passersby in 2024. Cleveland chose not to re-sign last year’s backup Jamies Winston, and traded for Pickett in the first week of free agency, sending the Philadelphia Eagles a five-round pick and quarterback Dorian Thompson Bonson.
Cleveland held the second overall pick in the 2025 draft and met several top quarterback prospects, including Camward, Shedure Sanders, Jackson Dart, Jalen Milllow and Tyler Schaff. However, Haslam said the team would not force a quarterback in their first choice.
Flacco was believed to have been played in the NFL for most of the 2023 season when a team that would not be seriously considered to add him to their roster.
However, in the aftermath of Watson’s season-ending shoulder injury that season, the Browns signed Flacco and since returning to Cleveland in 1999, they offered five games of stretch that rivaled what the franchise saw from a quarterback after returning to Cleveland.
That puts him in a position to be considered among viable backup options in 2024, with the Indianapolis Colts adding him as the veteran option behind Anthony Richardson on a one-year deal worth $4.5 million.
Flacco’s 2024 season had both high and low prices, losing to the Jacksonville Jaguars in an early performance of 359 yards. Ultimately, Richardson’s struggle and belief in flaco prompted the veteran to insert the veteran as a starter in week 9.
During the AFC playoff race at the time, coach Shane Steichen said he believes Fraco gave the Colts the best chance to win. But then the low came: the 40-year-old Flacco threw four intercepts with a combined loss to the Minnesota Vikings and Buffalo Bill, leading to his benching and reinsertion as Richardson’s starter.
The Colts made Flacco 2-4 as the starter last season. He finished with 1,761 yards, 12 touchdowns and seven interceptions.
Selected in the first round of the Baltimore Ravens’ 2008 draft, Flacco threw for 45,697 yards with 257 touchdowns and 162 intercepts in 17 seasons. He was named the Super Bowl XLVII MVP when he defeated the Ravens against the San Francisco 49ers.
Flacco, along with Brian Hoyer (10-6) and Case Keenum (2-0), is one of three quarterbacks who have had a winning record with the Browns since returning.
Stephen Holder of ESPN contributed to this report.
