By James Boyd, Zac Jackson and Randy Mueller

The Indianapolis Colts are signing quarterback Joe Flacco to a one-year deal worth up to $8.7 million with $4.5 million guaranteed, a league source told The Athletic.

Flacco signed with the Cleveland Browns practice squad in Week 12 and ended the 2023 season as the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year Award winner.

With Gardner Minshew leaving to seek a starting job in Las Vegas, it left a void for the Colts to fill at backup QB. After Richardson went down with a season-ending shoulder injury in Week 5, Minshew kept the Colts afloat, going 7-6 as the starter to remain in the playoff hunt. Obviously, Indianapolis hopes Richardson, who was limited to just four games last year (he missed another game due to a concussion), can stay healthy. However, if Richardson goes down again, bringing in the Comeback Player of the Year likely ensures Indianapolis’ season won’t go down in flames.

The biggest question is just how much Flacco has left in the tank. At one point last year, he became the feel-good story of the NFL, but Flacco turned 39 in January and the clock keeps ticking.

Another minor concern is just how different Flacco and Richardson are as quarterbacks. They have very different skill sets. However, the same could have been said of Richardson and Minshew, but Shane Steichen — who knows Flacco from their time together in Philadelphia in 2021 — managed to navigate the Colts offense through that change without much trouble.

It seems instead of targeting a QB with similar athleticism, Steichen and the Colts simply wanted to find a QB they could trust to come in and win games. Flacco proved he could do that last year as he resurrected his career with a late-season run for the Browns.

he veteran QB was brought in after the Browns lost starting quarterback Deshaun Watson for the season to a shoulder injury and helped guide the team to a 4-1 record and a playoff berth as a starter. Flacco had a 60.3 completion percentage with 1,616 yards, 13 touchdowns and eight interceptions in 2023.

Flacco, who can still throw the ball a mile, will be prepared without requiring reps, meaning Richardson will get every rep, which is what he needs at this point of his career. Flacco proved he can still make all the throws from a physical standpoint, and his personality and work ethic will automatically earn him respect.

And as he enters his 17th season, he’s seen just about everything in the NFL and should be a valuable resource for Richardson. Flacco won over the Browns locker room and immediately mastered the offense in Cleveland, and his experience and professionalism make this a smart signing by the Colts.

Flacco had spent the previous three seasons with the New York Jets where he posted a 1-8 record in his nine starts.

Before his tenure in New York, Flacco spent a year with the Denver Broncos and 11 seasons with the Baltimore Ravens where he won a Super Bowl MVP.