Joe Flacco, the quarterback for the Colts, provides much-needed insurance behind Anthony Richardson.
Written by Randy Mueller, Zac Jackson, and James Boyd
According to a league source who spoke with The Athletic, quarterback Joe Flacco is joining the Indianapolis Colts for a one-year contract worth up to $8.7 million with $4.5 million guaranteed.
After signing with the Cleveland Browns practice squad in Week 12, Flacco went on to win the NFL Comeback Player of the Year Award at the end of the 2023 campaign.
Gardner Minshew’s departure to pursue a starting position in Las Vegas created a void at backup quarterback that the Colts had to fill. Minshew kept the Colts afloat after Richardson suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in Week 5, going 7-6 as the starter to keep the team in the running for the playoffs. Indianapolis obviously hopes Richardson can stay healthy after playing in just four games the previous season (missing another one owing to a concussion). But bringing in the Comeback Player of the Year probably guarantees Indianapolis’ season won’t end in disaster if Richardson is hurt again.
How much gas Flacco still has left in the tank is the main mystery. Flacco turned 39 in January of last year, and time is running out on what was once the NFL’s feel-good story.
The fact that Flacco and Richardson are very different quarterbacks raises one more small worry. Their skill sets are radically dissimilar. Though Shane Steichen, who is acquainted with Flacco from their time together in Philadelphia in 2021, was able to lead the Colts offense through that transition with relative ease, the same could have been said for Richardson and Minshew.
Rather than going after a quarterback with comparable athleticism, it appears that Steichen and the Colts were just looking for a quarterback they could rely on to win games. Last season, Flacco demonstrated his ability to do so by leading the Browns to a late-season run that revitalized his career.
After starting quarterback Deshaun Watson suffered a shoulder injury that ended his season, the Browns turned to the seasoned quarterback, who as a starter led the team to a 4-1 record and a postseason berth. In 2023, Flacco completed 60.3% of his passes for 1,616 yards, 13 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions.
Richardson will receive every rep because Flacco, who is still capable of throwing the ball a mile, will be ready and won’t need them at this stage of his career. Physically speaking, Flacco has demonstrated that he can still make all the throws, and his work ethic and disposition will win him respect.
He’s also going into his 17th season and has seen almost everything in the NFL, so Richardson should find him to be a useful asset. Flacco was a hit signing for the Colts because of his professionalism and experience. He quickly became the quarterback in Cleveland and won over the locker room of the Browns.
Flacco had played for the New York Jets for the previous three seasons, where he started nine games and finished with an 1-8 record.
Flacco played for the Denver Broncos for a season and the Baltimore Ravens for 11 seasons, winning MVP of the Super Bowl during his time there before moving to New York.
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