Is there a possibility that Cleveland Browns QB Joe Flacco actually starts for the team in the 2024 NFL Season? Does this sound ridiculous? Maybe, but maybe not. The Browns signed Flacco off the couch earlier this year, and they have turned into an elite, balanced team since he entered the starting lineup.
Flacco is truly letting it rip, and it's clear that he's playing as if he has nothing to lose. He's played and started in five games for the team in 2023, and the Browns have gone 4-1 in those starts. Yes, he's old, but the Browns have looked awesome over the last month.
Could Joe Flacco start for the Browns in 2024? Let's cover three reasons why it could happen.
3 reasons why Joe Flacco could start for Cleveland Browns in 2024
1. The Browns offense is very potent when Flacco is in
The Browns have enjoyed the Joe Flacco experience for five games. In those five games, the team has scored 28.6 points per game, and Flacco is averaging a whopping 323 passing yards per game. He's known his teammates for a short time and has not had a ton of time playing in this offense this year.
Considering Flacco would get an entire offseason with the Browns playmakers on offense, isn't there reason to believe that the unit can be just as good in 2024? You'd expect the injured players to return along the offensive line. Nick Chubb could also return to the lineup as well, which would be a huge boost. I mean, Flacco is just picking defenses apart and has already shown an expert understanding of his unit.
2. The Browns could go on a deep playoff run with the QB
The Browns might be in a great spot to go on a deep playoff run. Honestly, outside of the Baltimore Ravens, I'm not sure there is a better AFC team right now than the Browns. Both sides of the ball are cooking, and if the team were to make a deep playoff run, why would they not want to bring Flacco back in 2024?
I guess he could make the decision easy for them and just return at season's end, but I'd have to believe that he'd have an itch to come back in 2024 if the team makes a deep run. Tell me why the Cleveland Browns can't win the Super Bowl this year? Flacco has a 10-5 playoff record and has won a Super Bowl before.
And their defense is plenty good enough to help the Browns reach this goal, even with the amount of injuries that side of the ball has dealt with. There's a lot to like about the Browns at this point, as they are getting production everywhere. Plus, if Flacco were to return to the team in 2024, he'd surely not command a super rich contract.
He'd obviously get re-signed on a one-year deal and I don't think it could be worth more than $10 million. I could be very wrong, though.
3. Believe it or not, Deshaun Watson's contract is moveable
The worst contract in all of sports is Deshaun Watson's, who signed a fully guaranteed deal with the team when he got traded. Here's some perspective, here; if the Browns were to cut him as a post-June 1st designation, they'd eat $155.9 million in dead cap in 2024. They'd absorb another $109.9 in 2025 and $63.9 in 2026.
It is indeed financially impossible to move the contract, for the most part. If the Browns were to trade him as a post-June 1st designation, they'd have just $17.9 million in dead cap and would save $46 million on their books in 2024, 2025, and 2026. With how poorly Watson has played, no one would want to trade for the player. However, could there be a scenario where the Browns sweeten the deal?
Could the Browns include a package of draft picks and players to get a team to trade for him? We've seen that type of deal before. The team acquiring Watson would likely send a mid or late-round pick for Watson and would receive the QB and other players and draft picks.
I know this sounds absolutely insane, but there are paths to move Deshaun Watson. A contract restructuring would allow the Browns to save $33.5 on their cap in 2024, so I guess restructuring the deal could also open up the possibility of a trade.
You're likely going to see Flacco ride off into the sunset in 2024 or return as the QB2 of the Browns. Deshaun Watson is probably going to be the starter of this team in 2024, but not because he's earned that role.