Flacco is back with the Browns, and he could be a sneaky Fantasy quarterback this season. He's not worth drafting in most one-quarterback leagues, but he could be worth a late-round flier in Superflex and two-quarterback formats. Flacco, 40, will compete for the starting job in training camp with Kenny Pickett, Dillon Gabriel, and Shedeur Sanders. Fantasy managers would like to see Flacco win the job because he's the best option for Jerry Jeudy, Cedric Tillman, and David Njoku. Flacco was great in 2023 when he started six games for Cleveland, including the playoffs, and passed for at least 307 yards in five of those outings. He also scored at least 20.2 Fantasy points in five of those games, and we'll see if Flacco can repeat that level of production in his second stint with coach Kevin Stefanski. Keep an eye on what happens in training camp, and we'd like to see Flacco as the starter for the Browns in Week 1.
Flacco completed nine of 10 passes for 71 yards and a touchdown in Saturday's 19-17 preseason win over the Rams.
Flacco was nearly flawless while working the Browns' first three drives, capping the second with a 15-yard TD strike to rookie tight end Harold Fannin. The 41-year-old is set as the Week 1 starter for Cleveland, and while the team may choose to take a look at one of the quarterbacks it selected in the 2025 Draft, Dillon Gabriel or Shedeur Sanders, if the season goes off the rails, Flacco offers a much more stable floor for the passing game, and targets such as Jerry Jeudy and David Njoku.
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Browns' Joe Flacco: In line for 25-30 snaps Saturday
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Flacco is slated to start Saturday's preseason finale against the Rams, Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.
Coach Kevin Stefanski indicated Thursday that Flacco and the Browns' healthy starters should see about 25-to-30 plays Saturday. Once Flacco departs the contest, Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders, in that order, are in line to see action, while Kenny Pickett won't play due to his hamstring issue, per Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN.com.
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Browns' Joe Flacco: Named starter by Browns
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Flacco has been named the Browns' starting QB ahead of Week 1.
Flacco has been taking the overwhelming majority of first-team reps in training camp, per Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN.com, and he's been trending toward the assignment, but the Browns confirmed the veteran QB's status as the team's starter Monday. In the meantime, Kenny Pickett (hamstring), Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders (oblique) are slated to compete for backup slotting in advance of Cleveland's Sept. 7 regular-season opener against the Bengals.
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Browns' Joe Flacco: QB1 decision coming this week
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Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said Sunday that he plans to name a starting quarterback this week, Albert Breer of SI.com reports.
Flacco has been on track to start Week 1 given his playing time and the distribution of starting snaps during training camp. The 40-year-old quarterback didn't suit up for Saturday's 22-13 preseason victory versus Philadelphia, but that appeared to be for rest reasons rather than any injury concerns. Meanwhile, fellow quarterbacks Kenny Pickett (hamstring) and fifth-round rookie Shedeur Sanders (oblique) were both sidelined, leaving third-round rookie Dillon Gabriel to start. Assuming Flacco is named the starter, then Pickett will probably be the No. 2 quarterback when healthy, while Sanders and Gabriel compete for the third-string role. Tyler Huntley also is on board in Cleveland, but it's unlikely he'll still be there if the team keeps Flacco, Pickett, Sanders and Gabriel all on the roster. Flacco appeared in eight games with six starts for the Colts last season, completing 162 of 248 passes (65 percent) for 1,761 yards and 12 touchdowns to seven interceptions.
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Browns' Joe Flacco: Unlikely to play Saturday
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Flacco, who will take the majority of first-team reps at practice Wednesday, is not expected to suit up for Saturday's preseason game against the Eagles, Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN.com reports.
Browns coach Kevin Stefanski hasn't yet officially named a starting quarterback for Week 1, but all indications remain that it will be Flacco who lines up under center against the Bengals in the regular-season opener, per Zac Jackson of The Athletic. Ashley Bastock of cleveland.com reports that 40-year-old veteran is expected to continue handling first-team reps throughout Cleveland's two joint practices with Philadelphia, while rookies Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel figure to split game reps Saturday. Kenny Pickett (hamstring), meanwhile, remains limited to 7-on-7 drills.
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Browns' Joe Flacco: Won't play in preseason opener
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Flacco isn't scheduled to play in Friday's preseason opener against the Panthers, Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.
The Browns are holding him out even though Shedeur Sanders was their only other healthy quarterback prior to signing Tyler Huntley on Monday. Huntley spent time with the team last year and has experience operating coach Kevin Stefanski's playbook, but it'll be Sanders getting the start Friday night. While Stefanski said he plans to play some starters, Flacco's absence is the latest sign that the 40-year-old is on track for the Week 1 start. Making it through the season without getting benched or injured will be the more challenging part.
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Browns' Joe Flacco: Strengthening hold on QB1 role
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Flacco is the "strong favorite" to begin the regular season as Cleveland's starting quarterback, Zac Jackson of The Athletic reports.
Flacco has been the "presumed favorite" since the beginning of training camp, and multiple factors have helped him tighten his grip on the role. First, Jackson reports that the veteran QB had his best two days of throwing Friday and Saturday. Second, Kenny Pickett strained a hamstring July 27 and is still working his way back to full speed, though he's returned to practice in a limited capacity. Finally, rookie Shedeur Sanders hasn't been able to do much as he deals with arm soreness, though Jackson suggests that neither Sanders nor fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel ever had a "realistic chance" of winning the starting job out of the gate. It all adds up to Flacco looking like the Browns' starter Week 1 against Cincinnati, though Pickett still could make a case for the role if he outshines Flacco upon returning to full health.
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Browns' Joe Flacco: Handles bulk of team drills Friday
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Though Kenny Pickett (hamstring) was back on the practice field Friday, Flacco continued to handle the bulk of the Browns' QB reps during team drills, Dan Labbe of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.
In his first practice back from a hamstring injury that he suffered last Saturday, Pickett went through individual drills Friday. Once he's ready to work fully, however, we'd expect Pickett to resume splitting most of the first-team reps with Flacco, with Dillon Gabriel mixing in with the first unit to a lesser degree, while Shedeur Sanders gets reps with the second- or third-team offense. With that in mind, Cleveland's QB competition is far from settled, with coach Kevin Stefanski declining to reveal his signal-caller plan for the team's Aug. 8 preseason opener against the Panthers, per Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN.com.
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Browns' Joe Flacco: Splitting first-team snaps
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Flacco was the first QB up for 11-on-11 work Thursday, after Kenny Pickett did the honors Wednesday, Zac Jackson of The Athletic reports.
Jackson notes that Flacco sometimes takes fewer reps than the other quarterbacks because he's so much older and more experienced. It otherwise sounds like Flacco and Pickett are on equal footing in a competition for the Week 1 starting job. Dillon Gabriel has been the third QB through drills ahead of fellow rookie Shedeur Sanders, but there's still plenty of time this summer for the latter to make a push up the depth chart.
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Browns' Joe Flacco: Sits out 11-on-11
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Flacco did not participate in the Browns' 11-on-11 session at practice Wednesday, Chris Easterling of the Akron Beacon Journal reports.
Flacco was the first quarterback up in the team's first modified 7-on-7 series against the team's No. 1 defensive back seven. He then shifted into being a spectator for the remainder of the day, handing the reins off to Kenny Pickett to begin the team's 11-on-11 session to end practice. Not much can be inferred about the quarterback pecking order in Cleveland after the team's first full-squad workout Wednesday, but it's worth monitoring as the days pass. Flacco and Pickett appear to be the frontrunners of the Browns' four-man quarterback competition, with rookies Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel fighting an uphill battle.
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Browns' Joe Flacco: Mentor during offseason work
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Flacco took limited reps during mandatory minicamp, Zac Jackson of The Athletic reports.
Flacco is entering his 18th NFL season, so extra reps during the offseason aren't necessarily all that valuable. He participated enough to help install the offense, but otherwise served as a mentor to Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel, helping them develop a cadence and study film. Flacco is expected to compete for the starting job during training camp and could realistically be under center for Cleveland's Week 1 matchup against the Bengals.
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Browns' Joe Flacco: Returning to Cleveland
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Flacco has agreed to a one-year deal with the Browns, Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN reports.
Per the report, Flacco's deal is for $4 million, though the veteran QB could earn up to $13 million with incentives factored in. Flacco -- who played for the Colts last season -- is thus in line to return to Cleveland, where he won the NFL's Comeback Player of the Year award in 2023. Bringing back the 40-year-old bolsters a signal-caller corps that also includes Deshaun Watson -- who could miss most or all of the 2025 season due to an Achilles injury -- and 2022 first-rounder Kenny Pickett. It's also quite possible that the Browns will select another QB in the upcoming NFL Draft, but as things stand now, Flacco is in a position to compete with Pickett to be the team's starter in Week 1.
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Colts' Joe Flacco: Ends season with OT win
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Flacco completed 23 of 40 passes for 264 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 26-23 overtime win over the Jaguars.
Getting the start in place of Anthony Richardson (back), Flacco hit Alec Pierce for a 40-yard TD on the Colts' first possession and finished the game with respectable numbers. This may have been the 39-year-old quarterback's final NFL game, as he will become a free agent this offseason and hasn't indicated whether he wants to keep playing, but if he does elect to keep playing he seems to be a good fit in Indy as the backup/mentor to the gifted but raw Richardson. Over eight appearances in 2024, Flacco completed 65.3 percent of his passes for 1,761 yards and a 12:7 TD:INT.
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Colts' Joe Flacco: Set to start Sunday
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Flacco will start Sunday's season finale against the Jaguars, James Boyd of The Athletic reports.
The veteran QB will get his second straight start, with Anthony Richardson (back) having been ruled out for Sunday's contest, per head coach Shane Steichen. While filling in for Richardson in Week 17, Flacco completed 26 of 38 passes for 330 yards and two touchdowns with two interceptions in the Colts' 45-33 loss to the Giants. Flacco thus represents a Week 18 lineup option for those in need of QB help due to injuries or scenarios in which their signal-callers will be limited or rested this weekend.
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Colts' Joe Flacco: Week 18 Waiver Priority List
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Flacco scored 32.6 Fantasy points at Jacksonville in Week 5, and the Jaguars are No. 2 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing quarterbacks. If Flacco starts again for the Colts in place of Anthony Richardson (back), then Flacco would be worth starting in deeper leagues. He scored 19.3 Fantasy points at the Giants in Week 17.
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Colts' Joe Flacco: Tops 300 yards in Week 17 start
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Flacco completed 26 of 38 passes for 330 yards and two touchdowns with two interceptions in Sunday's 45-33 loss to the Giants.
Making his first start since Week 10, Flacco posted big passing numbers and hit Alec Pierce and Michael Pittman for fourth-quarter TDs, but he also committed three turnovers as he lost a fumble to end the Colts' final possession in addition to his two picks. With Indy now eliminated from postseason contention, it's not clear whether the team will even consider using Anthony Richardson (back/foot) in Week 18 against the Jaguars, or if Flacco might get one more start in 2024.
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Colts' Joe Flacco: Could get pivotal Week 17 start
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Flacco could be tasked with starting against the Giants on Sunday, as Mike Chappell of FOX59/CBS4 Sports reports that Anthony Richardson (back/foot) is questionable.
Richardson didn't practice in any capacity throughout the week, so the second-year quarterback is in danger of sitting out, with clarity on that front set to arrive no later than 90 minutes prior to Sunday's 1:00 p.m. EST kickoff. Flacco has posted a 9:5 TD:INT across six appearances (four starts) in 2024. The 7-8 Colts need to defeat the 2-13 Giants to have any chance at making the playoffs.
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Colts' Joe Flacco: Week 11 Waiver Priority List
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Since being named the starter for the Colts in Week 9, Flacco has struggled and combined for just 17.9 Fantasy points in two outings against the Vikings and Bills. But it wouldn't surprise me if he does well at the Jets in Week 11, and New York has allowed at least 19.9 Fantasy points to four of the past five opposing quarterbacks coming into this week. It also wouldn't be surprising if Flacco struggles again that he's replaced by Anthony Richardson (31 percent rostered), so it's not a bad idea to roster him again in deeper leagues for 1 percent of your remaining FAB. Flacco is also worth just 1 percent of your remaining FAB.
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Colts' Joe Flacco: Will start again in Week 11
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Coach Shane Steichens said Monday that Flacco will remain the Colts' starting quarterback Sunday at the Jets, Kevin Bowen of 107.5 The Fan Indianapolis reports.
Flacco hasn't yielded the kind of returns during starts Week 9 and 10 that he did earlier this season, completing 42 of 62 passes for 451 yards, two touchdowns and four interceptions while losing two fumbles in back-to-back losses to the Vikings and Bills. Nevertheless, the Colts will continue to roll with the veteran signal-caller versus second-year pro Anthony Richardson under center for the time being. There's no telling how long this arrangement will stay in place, but the team may need to fall out of playoff contention for a change to be made under center.
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Colts' Joe Flacco: Done in by turnovers in loss
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Flacco completed 26 of 35 passes for 272 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions in the Colts' 30-20 loss to the Bills on Sunday. He also lost a fumble.
Flacco's day could have hardly started in more worrisome fashion, as he tossed a pick-six on the Colts' first play from scrimmage and then closed out Indianapolis' second possession with a second interception in Bills territory. Flacco was able to partly atone from a fantasy perspective with a two-yard touchdown pass to Tyler Goodson and a 10-yard scoring toss to Alec Pierce with only two seconds remaining, but the latter was preceded by a lost fumble and a third interception that both unfolded on Buffalo's side of the field as well. Flacco hasn't been very effective from a real-world football perspective during his current two-game starting stint, raising the possibility Anthony Richardson could soon return to the starting role. However, James Boyd of The Athletic reports Shane Steichen said after the game Flacco would remain the starter until the head coach "says otherwise."
