It’s been almost two decades since the Baltimore Ravens took quarterback Joe Flacco with the No. 18 overall pick in the 2008 NFL Draft.
The Delaware product was a starter right away, and he held on to that position for 10 seasons.
That’s why, after bouncing around the league and knowing what it feels like to be on the bench, he’ll do whatever it takes to get on the field for the Cleveland Browns this year.
The Super Bowl champion opened up about his “end goal” for this season, and he made it clear that he wants to play.
“Yeah, listen, that’s why we play the game, right?” Flacco said, via Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. “You know, we play to play. That’s what gets us all going. You do get gained perspective. And when you’re out in the grass in practice, you can remind yourself, ‘Wow, this is like, cool that we’re out here,’ but the end goal is to be the guy on the field playing the football games. That’s why we all do it. That’s as simple as it gets.”
#Browns Joe Flacco acknowledges how much he wants to play: pic.twitter.com/ovRXOPxrpU
— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) August 6, 2025
Flacco has talked about how he isn’t around to mentor anybody, knowing that younger players have wanted to take his job.
That’s a valid approach, and though he’s seemingly changed that stance and has been a positive figure for younger quarterbacks, he’s not ready to step aside.
The Browns revived Flacco’s career two years ago.
He was still a free agent deep into the season, and it didn’t seem likely that any team was going to give him a call.
That hot stretch for Cleveland got him a one-year deal with the Indianapolis Colts.
Back with the Browns, he’s inching closer to the end of his career, and any snap could be his last.
Hopefully, playing with that type of mindset will help him turn back the clock and show that he has another great season in him, as he’s the Browns’ best hope to win some games.
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