The Cleveland Browns signed quarterback Joe Flacco to their practice squad a couple of weeks ago, and this past Sunday, he made his debut under center for the club.
Yes, the Browns suffered a 36-19 loss to the Los Angeles Rams, but there is no doubt that Flacco provided the team with some hope, going 23-for-44 with 254 yards, two touchdowns and an interception.
Afterward, former Baltimore Ravens safety Ed Reed—who spent plenty of time playing with Flacco—shared his thoughts on Flacco in Cleveland.
“He’s won a Super Bowl, and not many quarterbacks can say they won a Super Bowl,” Reed told Ian Rapoport of NFL media this week. “He played his a-- off during those whole playoffs.”
Reed was referring to Flacco’s run during the 2012-13 campaign, when he ultimately led the Ravens to a Super Bowl win over the San Francisco 49ers.
“It might be a Cinderella thing,” Reed continued. “It might be awesome, if Joe can get them to the playoffs.”
Flacco spent the first 11 seasons of his NFL career in Baltimore. He immediately became the Ravens’ starting quarterback during his rookie campaign in 2008 and held that title all the way through before giving way to Lamar Jackson midway through 2018.
While Flacco never made any Pro Bowls in Baltimore, he was a steady presence at signal-caller and had a knack for playing well in the postseason.
Of course, Flacco is now 38 years old and is a long way away from his Super Bowl victory over a decade ago, so just because he did it once before does not mean he is going to replicate the process.
The Browns are without Deshaun Watson for the rest of the season, and given Cleveland’s quarterback situation as a whole, it seems likely that Flacco will remain under center for the rest of the year.
Cleveland is 7-5 and will take on the Jacksonville Jaguars next Sunday.
More must-reads: