Former Colts QB Joe Flacco Traded to Desperate Squad

Flacco has played a whopping 18 years in the NFL, and spent the 2024 campaign with Indianapolis as a backup to Anthony Richardson Sr. While Flacco was accurate, he wasn't much else as the field general filling in.

Flacco started six games, played in eight, and finished with a forgettable 2-4 record. Flacco finished 2024 with 162/248 completions for 1,761 passing yards, 12 touchdown tosses, and seven interceptions.

The Colts saw potential in Flacco's veteran play and leadership after the long-time Baltimore Ravens QB won the NFL's 2023 Comeback Player of the Year Award with the Browns. That year, Flacco came out of nowhere to help the Browns make the playoffs.

He'd conclude his award-winning season with 123 completions for 1,616 passing yards, 13 touchdown passes, and eight interceptions. Flacco was signed to a one-year, $4.5 million deal by Indianapolis.

Flacco might have played good enough for an NFL honor in 2023, and serviceable as a backup for the Colts last year, but the veteran and former Super Bowl winner has struggled this year, prompting the Browns to get what they could for his services via trade.

Flacco has arguably looked the worst of his long NFL tenure, throwing six picks to just two touchdowns over a four-game sample. While those numbers are pretty brutal, factoring in that Flacco is 40 and can hardly move, it makes more sense that he's struggled.

Despite a rough 2025 season, Flacco now gets a fresh start with the Bengals. Given how much Jake Browning has struggled filling in the for the injured Joe Burrow, Flacco could impress enough to earn another starting gig.

Flacco's career numbers are impressive, with 46,512 passing yards, 259 touchdown passes, and 106 victories. Don't expect Flacco to look better just because he's with a new squad, but it's also far too soon to tell how he'll mesh with the Bengals.

Flacco's time with the Colts is forgettable, but he did what he could, filling in for Richardson after he sustained more injuries in 2024, limiting him to just 11 games. We'll see what happens with Flacco as he joins his fourth team since 2022.