Last week, Joe Flacco was both the starting quarterback of the Browns and not officially a member of the team. Before the Browns signed Flacco to the 53-man roster, he had other opportunities.
He was not interested in any of them.
Flacco’s agent, Joe Linta, told Peter King on Sunday night that “two or three” teams asked about signing Flacco last Monday, after he reverted to the practice squad following the Week 14 win over the Jaguars.
“Joe didn’t want to hear it,” Linta said, via King’s latest Football Morning in America column. “He absolutely wanted to stay in Cleveland. He loves the team. He really gets along well with the coach.”
It’s unknown what Flacco was offered by other teams, or if it even got to that point. Flacco eventually agreed to a deal that included $4.05 million incentives based on regular-season and postseason wins.
The teams that called also aren’t known. Given the number of injured quarterbacks currently in the NFL, plenty should have made the call last Monday.
Actually, plenty should have made the call last month, before the Browns signed Flacco to the practice squad. His experience, knowledge, and physical skills have combined to make him the perfect complement to a team with a stellar defense.
Flacco and the Browns also benefit from his ability to forget about a periodic misfire and move forward. He shrugged off three interceptions on Sunday and led the Browns back from a 10-point deficit to beat the Bears and move to 9-5.
The Browns will be dangerous if they get to the playoffs, thanks to Flacco. And every fan of the sport should be rooting for a Browns-Ravens playoff game.