Joe Flacco is back in the division. Officially now, signed to the Cleveland Browns’ 53-man roster after starting the past two games. You see, he was a member of the practice squad during that time, starting games as a standard elevation. Now he has a new contract, and one that is reportedly loaded with incentives.
While the deal has not yet been officially announced, he can earn himself a good chunk of change if he can help the Browns continue to win—the further they go, the more he makes, sensibly enough. Details were reported by Jake Trotter of ESPN.
With four games remaining in the regular season, each win will earn Flacco an extra $75,000. Provided that Cleveland advances to the postseason, his earnings escalate with each round. A Wildcard Round win earns him another $250,000, a Divisional win $500,000, the conference championship $1 million, and the Super Bowl $2 million.
Considering the fact that the Browns have not made it further than the Divisional Round since 1989, I’m not sure how high Flacco should reasonably set his hopes for a late-career financial windfall. But all the same, a franchise with such little success would gladly pay those prices to get to those places.
The Browns, of course, employ Deshaun Watson at quarterback, whom they are paying $230 million over five years. He is on the Reserve/Injured List, however, and only played in six games. P.J. Walker also started two games, and rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson started three.
Flacco has put up the best numbers by far, throwing for 565 yards with five touchdowns against two interceptions and a 45.7 percent success rate per pass—by far the highest of any quarterback on the roster.
Cleveland is currently 8-5 and in position to reach the postseason as a Wildcard team, though the division may be out of reach at this point with the Baltimore Ravens at 10-3. They have a somewhat favorable remaining schedule, as well.
Their next opponent is the Chicago Bears, followed by the Houston Texans, likely their greatest challenge assuming QB C.J. Stroud returns by then. Their final two games are against the New York Jets and the Cincinnati Bengals, though both teams seemed to have finally adjusted to playing with a backup quarterback.
I frankly cannot recall another season in which so many backup quarterbacks have played such a prominent role. Several teams seem to be making the turn to viability even without their starter, including Cleveland.
How far can they push it with Flacco at quarterback? His career was floundering at the end of his tenure with the Baltimore Ravens, for half a decade after winning the Super Bowl, leading them to draft Lamar Jackson.
