Joe Flacco winds up landing in a near-perfect situation

Cleveland Browns fans will never forget what Joe Flacco meant to them in 2023. Flacco Fever swept across the fan base as he led the team to a 4-1 record down the stretch. Despite starting just five games in the regular season and one in the playoffs, Flacco will go down as one of the more popular signal-callers the team has had since returning to the league in 1999.

He even has some hardware to help him remember the stretch he had. Flacco, who wasn't signed until mid-November, took home the NFL Comeback Player of the Year award after throwing for 1,616 yards and 13 touchdowns.

Sadly, his time with Cleveland won't continue into this season. Despite both parties saying they were interested in a reunion, the Browns reportedly never made an offer. Instead, they went after Jacoby Brissett and when he signed with the New England Patriots, they agreed to terms with Jameis Winston. That left Flacco looking for a landing spot and he found a good one, agreeing to a one-year deal with the Indianapolis Colts.

Joe Flacco is in an ideal spot in Indianapolis

Flacco agreed to a deal similar to the one Jameis Winston got with the Browns. He's guaranteed $4.5 million and can make up to $8.7 million with incentives. It's not a bad contract for the Colts, who had to start Gardner Minshew for 13 games in 2023 when Anthony Richardson was lost for the season.

Minshew recently signed with the Raiders, leaving the Colts without a backup for Richardson, who suffered a shoulder injury that required surgery during his rookie campaign. No one will ever root for an injury but with 66 backups playing in 2023, there's a good chance he will see the field. Especially when you throw in Richardson's style of play which often puts his body at risk.

Should he take snaps for Indianapolis, Flacco is likely to have success – especially if he plays at home inside Lucas Oil Stadium. The Colts have excellent weapons including Michael Pittman, Josh Downs, and Alec Pierce. Head coach Shane Steichen also runs a quarterback-friendly system that Flacco can thrive in.

Cleveland was his preference but this isn't a bad fall-back plan for Flacco. Wishing him nothing but the best.

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