Joe Flacco is back in the AFC North. The former Ravens quarterback, who spent 11 seasons and won a Super Bowl with the Ravens, has been signed to the Cleveland Browns' practice squad.
Now the 38-year-old Flacco will try to help the Deshaun Watson-less Browns (7-3) try to win the AFC North crown in a race against Baltimore. The Ravens (8-3) have a half-game lead in the division.
The Browns lost Watson to a season-ending shoulder injury suffered in their Week 10 matchup against the Ravens. Flacco agreed to terms with the Browns after working out for them on Friday and is reportedly expected to be pulled up to the 53-man roster soon.
Flacco's remarkable playoff run in 2012 with the Ravens, when he threw 11 touchdown passes and no interceptions in four playoff games, led Baltimore to victory in Super Bowl XLVII and Flacco was named the game's MVP.
Flacco is the Ravens' career leader in passing yards, completions, touchdown passes, regular-season wins and postseason wins. He was Baltimore's starting quarterback from his rookie season in 2008 until midway through 2018, when he suffered a midseason hip injury. He was replaced by Lamar Jackson, who led Baltimore to the playoffs as a rookie and hasn't looked back.
The Ravens traded Flacco to the Broncos before the 2019 season, and he has also bounced to the Eagles and Jets. He started five games for the Jets last season with five touchdown passes and three interceptions, and threw for four touchdowns during a comeback victory over the Browns. However, Flacco was not re-signed by the Jets, who traded for Aaron Rodgers during the offseason.
Cleveland rookie quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson started Sunday against the Steelers, with veteran P.J. Walker the other quarterback on their roster.
Thompson-Robinson went 24-of-43 for 165 yards and an interception. The Browns defense led the way once again, but the rookie did engineer an eight-play, 48-yard drive to put Dustin Hopkins in position for a game-winning 34-yard field goal. The Browns beat the Steelers, 13-10, to move into second place in the AFC North race.
