At 38 years old, Cleveland Browns quarterback Joe Flacco isn’t taking anything for granted this season.
Flacco, who signed with the Browns in late November, has been making his case for the Comeback Player of the Year award with his unbelievable performances of late. The former New York Jets quarterback has led Cleveland to four straight wins and racked up 1,616 yards and 13 touchdowns while completing over 60 percent of his passes.
His numbers on the stat sheet tell one story. To Flacco, who’s played on as many as four teams in the last 16 seasons, his career could have gone much differently—or it could have never happened at all.
“You can tell that guys look at you a little bit differently just because of the fact that this is the 16th year that I’ve been in this league,” Flacco said on Wednesday. “I always say, if I messed up in high school, I could be these kids’ dads.”
Joe Flacco on the Browns locker room:
— Hayden Grove (@H_Grove) January 3, 2024
“If I messed up in high school, I could be these kids’ dads.”#Browns pic.twitter.com/7P0onu6TRn
This season, Flacco has helped the Browns clinch a playoff berth for the second time since 2002, a feat made more remarkable by the fact that Cleveland has dealt with devastating injuries all year.
As a result of the Browns’ unexpected success, coach Kevin Stefanski has steadily risen as a popular Coach of the Year candidate and Flacco has entered the mix for the CPOY award, competing against the likes of Damar Hamlin, Matthew Stafford, and former Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield.
What’s in Flacco’s past is past. Now, the veteran signal-caller will turn his attention to potentially making history in Week 18 against the Cincinnati Bengals as the Browns look to reach 12 regular season wins for only the second time in franchise history.
Since the Browns are locked into the AFC’s No. 5 seed, Flacco is expected to sit and newly signed quarterback Jeff Driskel will get the start on Sunday.
