Cleveland, Ohio One of the most surprising tales in recent NFL history may be Joe Flacco’s transformation from the MVP of the Baltimore Ravens Super Bowl to the adored veteran quarterback for the Cleveland Browns. The fact that Flacco has experienced true delight in Cleveland—possibly more than at any other stop in his illustrious career—makes it even more amazing.
Browns beat reporter Mary Kay Cabot witnessed this change firsthand during a recent Orange and Brown Talk podcast episode: “The funny thing about Joe is I think that he’s probably been happier here in Cleveland than he has in most of his other stops and most of his other years in football.”
Considering Flacco’s past, the emotion seems almost unreal. This quarterback, who once stood for everything Browns supporters hated, won a Super Bowl with Baltimore, and was Cleveland’s division foe for ten years. But for some reason, Flacco and Cleveland have grown to love each other so much that it seems like a sports film would be a perfect fit.
According to Browns beat reporter Ashley Bastock on the show, this fan base is still enamored with Flacco. I believe that a large number of fans were unhappy that the Browns did not make an attempt to rehire Joe Flacco in 2024. Given his background and the fact that he was merely one of those quarterbacks that controlled the Browns for a considerable amount of time after 1999 because he was in their division, it seems absurd that people fell in love with Joe Flacco.
Why would a fan base known for its intense (and occasionally agonizing) devotion fall in love with a former rival? Flacco’s viewpoint after almost losing football appears to have had a role. Flacco sat unsigned and saw his NFL career perhaps end before the Browns called in 2023.
Bastock remarked that he was surprised that no one had called him before. I believe that experience made him appreciate being here and with the boys, which is why he does stuff like this. For example, in 2023, when he was here, folks commented about how surprised they were that he went to a team dinner in Los Angeles with them. In a sense, he simply arrived. He attended the first birthday celebration for Wyatt Teller’s son.
Flacco’s perspective on the game and his teammates was changed by that experience of almost being retired. Once austere and businesslike in Baltimore, the quarterback now plays the role of father figure in Cleveland’s locker room, especially with rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders.
According to Cabot, one of the most fascinating things about Joe Flacco at this camp is how Shedeur Sanders has essentially taken over his role as Papa. Shedeur is attempting to get Joe Flacco to dance, which has made it amusing to watch him act like a child. And I believe that Joe is kicking back, laughing, and enjoying the entire situation because it makes him think of his own children.
“There’s just something about this scenario that makes Joe happy,” host Dan Labbe thought, reflecting on what makes this scenario so unique. I’m not sure, but it might be because he and Kevin Stefanski spend time discussing the Jersey Shore or something. However, Joe Flacco seems to truly love playing for the Cleveland Browns.
Because Flacco’s stint in Baltimore ended so abruptly, this resurgence feels especially tragic. The Ravens sent their Super Bowl-winning quarterback to Denver, where he failed to find success, after choosing Lamar Jackson. He was reduced to backup roles throughout his subsequent stints with the Jets and Colts.
But Flacco found more than simply playing time in Cleveland—he found a real connection. Flacco was once a name that Browns fans reviled, but with his incredible 2023 late-season performance, he became a hero. According to Bastock, the relationship is, in my perspective, the stuff of a sports movie, with reality being weirder than fiction.
Regardless of whether Flacco is selected to start in 2025, his time in Cleveland has already turned into something unique and serves as a reminder that, like in life, sometimes the most profound tales emerge from the most unlikely locations and at the most unexpected moments.
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