The Cleveland Browns face a handful of tough questions entering this offseason. What is the future of Myles Garret with the team? How should the organization handle the Deshaun Watson situation? Who should the team select with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft?
These questions are all valid, but one analyst from Pro Football & Sports Network projects the Browns will address the quarterback position by bringing back a former Super Bowl winner for his second stint in Cleveland.
Browns Predicted to Bring Back Joe Flacco in Free Agency
There is no doubt the future of Watson with the Browns organization is pessimistic at the current moment. His 19 touchdown passes to 17 turnovers throughout his 19 games played in a Browns’ uniform certainly jeopardizes his status as the team’s franchise quarterback moving forward.
Since Watson’s status for the entire 2025 NFL season is currently up in the air while recovering from an Achilles injury, Ben Rolfe of Pro Football & Sports Network sees a potential return to Cleveland for Joe Flacco as a viable, and affordable, option for the Browns this offseason.
Rolfe said, “The expectation is that the Browns will draft a quarterback, but neither Cam Ward nor Shedeur Sanders should be thrust straight into a starting role. Therefore, with Deshaun Watson likely on the shelf, why not bring back Joe Flacco and try to recapture some of that magic?”
The Browns do possess the second overall pick in the upcoming NFL Draft, which does give the organization an opportunity to address the quarterback position with either Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders. Yet, this selection would all but seal the fate of Watson’s future with the franchise. It’s certainly plausible, but could potentially create more questions than answers regarding the long-term future under center for the franchise.
Rolfe added, “Flacco is not a sexy free agent, but he would be a solid mentor for Sanders to learn from. Flacco has been to the top of the mountain and has experience within this Browns’ system, both of which are valuable traits to pass on to the rookie. Cleveland may decide to take a chance on a different quarterback to anchor them in 2025, but Flacco fits the bill better than Justin Fields and is more affordable than Russell Wilson or Sam Darnold.”
Can Joe Flacco Recapture His 2023 Success in Cleveland in 2025?
It wasn’t all that long ago that the Browns were actually in the playoffs in large part due to the excellence we saw from Flacco over a five-game stretch to finish out the 2023 NFL season. Flacco threw for 1,616 yards to go with 13 touchdowns and eight interceptions over that period to help push Cleveland into the postseason.
Unfortunately, Flacco’s hot finish to the 2023 season didn’t transfer to a similar amount of success with the Indianapolis Colts last year — where he produced just 12 touchdown passes to seven interceptions with an additional four fumbles lost in eight games in 2024.
Rolfe’s point about Flacco being an affordable option under center for Cleveland does make sense, if Kevin Stefanski believes the veteran quarterback could somehow recapture his surprising success in a Browns’ uniform from two seasons ago.
Yet, Flacco’s productive five-game run in Cleveland feels a bit more like an outlier for his career — which doesn’t exactly bode well for a 40-year-old quarterback entering his 18th season.
Expect Flacco to potentially be in the mix for the Browns this offseason alongside other available veteran quarterbacks like Kirk Cousins, Russell Wilson, or Aaron Rodgers if the team ultimately elects to pass on taking a quarterback at No. 2 overall this draft cycle.
