If there was ever going to be a full-circle moment for Joe Flacco, this offseason had the makings of it. The Baltimore Ravens were sniffing around for a new backup quarterback after Josh Johnson hit free agency. There weren't too many options to choose from. Then, all of a sudden, there he was—No. 5 himself, just sitting there in free agency.
A Ravens-Joe Flacco reunion always felt like a longshot. But for a second, just a second, it sounded like it could’ve actually happened. Per The Baltimore Sun’s Mike Preston, Flacco admitted he had a brief conversation about a return to Baltimore. And yeah—he wasn't necessarily opposed.
“They did kind of reach out to [my agent] Joe gauging my interest for something like that to happen. My agent called me up and was like, ‘What do you want me to tell them?’” Flacco told Preston.
There was no formal offer. There was no visit lined up or contract discussions. But it was enough to make Flacco sit and ponder. Enough to get the gears turning on what a return might actually look like. And for a minute, Joey Flock-o had to picture himself walking back into the building he helped build.
Ravens explored reunion with Joe Flacco before signing Cooper Rush
Because even if it never progressed beyond that first phone call, Flacco didn’t exactly hang up the idea:
“I’m like, ‘Well, listen, I’m interested. I don’t know what’s going to happen. It’s not like choice No. 1, I don’t know what’s going to happen here with me if I’m going to get an opportunity to do something a little bit more, but I wasn’t against it.’ I think I would’ve been excited about it in a little bit of a way.”
Unfortunately, being moderately interested and slightly excited to come back to Baltimore didn’t actually bring Flacco back to Baltimore. He didn’t specify if talks moved forward or just fizzled out, but one thing’s for sure—imagining No. 5 back on the sidelines in purple would’ve been electric. Instead, Flacco headed to Cleveland to fight for a larger role than he would have had with the Ravens.
The Browns outwardly expressed regret over the Deshaun Watson trade. He's now coming off his second Achilles injury setback, and it feels unlikely he'll ever take another snap in Cleveland. They traded for Kenny Pickett who is the current presumed starter... so yeah. To say Joe Flacco has a chance at starting would be an understatement.
The Ravens, meanwhile, had already landed their new backup. Former Cowboys QB Cooper Rush signed a two-year deal worth up to $12.2 million, including $6.2 million guaranteed. He’s steady. Experienced. Comfortable in a supporting role. A good fit behind Lamar Jackson.
Would a Flacco return have made for a great story? Absolutely. At the end of the day, it’s just cool that there’s still mutual interest. Maybe they’re destined to link up again down the line. Who knows… maybe once Flacco hangs it up for good, he finds his way back to Baltimore in a front-office role.