Steelers Miss Out on Another Quarterback as Flacco Returns to Browns
The Pittsburgh Steelers’ ongoing search for a starting quarterback just got a little tougher with another potential option heading elsewhere.
As the 2025 NFL Draft approaches, the Steelers still have work to do at the quarterback position. Mason Rudolph remains under contract, rumors around Aaron Rodgers continue to swirl, and the team recently met with Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders. But now, one more name is off the board.
Veteran signal-caller Joe Flacco, who had been floated as a possible fit in Pittsburgh, is re-signing with the Cleveland Browns. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Flacco inked a one-year deal packed with incentives that could earn him up to $13 million.
Flacco had a strong showing with the Browns in 2023, throwing for 1,616 yards and 13 touchdowns in a comeback season that earned him NFL Comeback Player of the Year honors. He spent the 2024 season with the Colts, where he played in eight games and added another 1,761 yards and 12 touchdowns to his résumé.
Reunion: the Cleveland Browns and veteran quarterback Joe Flacco reached agreement today on a one-year, $4 million deal worth up to $13 million with incentives, his agency @JLSports3 told ESPN. Flacco now will return to Cleveland, where he won the NFL’s Comeback Player of the… pic.twitter.com/pOaCuhrVmS
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 11, 2025
The 40-year-old has continued to play solid football late in his career. A former Super Bowl MVP and first-round pick of the Ravens, Flacco has passed for over 45,000 yards and 257 touchdowns over his NFL career.
With Flacco now off the market, the Steelers’ quarterback situation becomes even murkier. The remaining free agent options are uninspiring, and the team seems to be putting its hopes on either Rodgers — who’s 41 and coming off a 5-12 season with the Jets — or a rookie yet to be drafted.
The Steelers are in a tough position, likely facing a future with either an aging veteran, a rookie learning on the fly, or a QB with limited starting experience. While Flacco may not have been the ultimate answer, his decision to return to Cleveland removes yet another potential solution from the table.
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