Flacco’s Future: Unlikely Return to Ravens Amidst Strong Backup Options and NFL Quarterback Demand
A Baltimore Ravens icon experienced a career resurgence in the latter part of the recent NFL season with a rival team. Joe Flacco’s five-game stint as the starting quarterback for the Cleveland Browns was sufficient to earn him the (controversial) Comeback Player of the Year award. However, according to Zac Jackson of The Athletic, it’s unlikely that this Cinderella story with a twist will have a sequel. “The Browns are retaining much of their roster and nearly all of their key players,” Jackson wrote. “Flacco is almost certainly moving on as Deshaun Watson is set to return.”
It wouldn’t be surprising to see Flacco, aged 39, continue his NFL career for a 17th season. Despite being well past the typical retirement age for NFL quarterbacks, Flacco has often avoided discussing retirement and the recent wave of injuries to star quarterbacks will likely lead some teams to consider Flacco as an option. The question naturally arises: should one of those teams be the Ravens? In short, it’s probably in Baltimore’s best interest to steer clear of such a path. Bringing Flacco back would be driven solely by nostalgia, an arguably misguided attempt to allow him to conclude his career where it began.
While Lamar Jackson could potentially benefit from Flacco’s championship experience, that narrative has been extensively explored in this day and age. Moreover, despite its imperfections, Baltimore possesses one of the more promising backup plans in the NFL: Tyler Huntley has proven to be a capable backup since 2020. Additionally, Josh Johnson, a seasoned quarterback who poses a credible challenge to Flacco’s years of service, is also available. The emergence of Malik Cunningham, a Jackson-style project and fellow Louisville alum, adds an intriguing subplot to the upcoming summer.
Even if Flacco’s career doesn’t culminate in a fairy-tale ending, there’s no doubt that several other teams would be eager to enlist his services. Only nine quarterbacks started all 17 games for their respective teams last season, and some teams saw their campaigns derailed due to the absence of their primary signal-callers (e.g., Aaron Rodgers in New York).
