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Joe Flacco

Flacco with the Baltimore Ravens in 2008

No. 15 – Cleveland Browns

Position:

Quarterback

Personal information

Born:

January 16, 1985 (age 40)
Audubon, New Jersey, U.S.

Height:

6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)

Weight:

230 lb (104 kg)

Career information

High school:

Audubon

College:

Pittsburgh (2003–2004)
Delaware (2005–2007)

NFL Draft:

2008 / Round: 1 / Pick: 18

Career history

Baltimore Ravens (2008)
Denver Broncos (2019)
New York Jets (2020)
Philadelphia Eagles (2021)
New York Jets (2021)
Cleveland Browns (2023)
Indianapolis Colts (2024)
Cleveland Browns (2025–present)

Roster status:

Active

Career highlights and awards

Super Bowl champion (XLVII)
Super Bowl MVP (XLVII)
NFL Comeback Player of the Year (2023)
ECAC Player of the Year (2007)
First-team All-CAA (2007)
CAA Co-Offensive Player of the Year (2007)
Third-team All-American (2007)

NFL record

Passing touchdowns in a single postseason: 11 (2012) (tied)

Career NFL statistics as of Week 18, 2024

Passing attempts:	6,751
Passing completions:	4,166
Completion percentage:	61.7%
TD–INT:	257–162
Passing yards:	45,697
Passer rating:	84.4

Player stats at PFR

Joseph Vincent Flacco (born January 16, 1985) is an American football quarterback for the Cleveland Browns in the National Football League (NFL). A quarterback is the leader of the team's offense. Flacco was chosen by the Baltimore Ravens in the 2008 NFL draft.

For 11 seasons, Flacco was the starting quarterback for the Ravens. He led them to the playoffs six times. His biggest achievement was winning Super Bowl XLVII in 2013. He was named the MVP of that game. During that playoff run, he threw 11 touchdown passes and no interceptions, tying a record set by the legendary Joe Montana.

After leaving the Ravens, Flacco played for several other teams, including the Denver Broncos, New York Jets, and Philadelphia Eagles. In 2023, he joined the Cleveland Browns mid-season after their starting quarterback was injured. He played so well that he led the Browns to the playoffs and won the Comeback Player of the Year award. He is known for having one of the strongest throwing arms in the NFL.

Early Life and College
- College Football Career
- College Statistics
Professional Career
NFL Career Statistics
- Regular Season
- Postseason
Personal Life
Images for kids
See also

Early Life and College

Flacco was born in Audubon, New Jersey. In high school, he played football, baseball, and basketball. He was a talented quarterback and was recruited to play college football.

College Football Career

Flacco first went to the University of Pittsburgh. He was a backup quarterback there for one season. Wanting more playing time, he transferred to the University of Delaware.

Flacco playing for Delaware in the 2007 FCS championship game

At Delaware, Flacco became a star. In 2007, he led his team to the national championship game. He threw for over 4,000 yards and 23 touchdowns that season. His great performance at Delaware helped him get noticed by NFL teams. During his time there, he set 20 school records.

College Statistics

Season	Passing						Rushing
Season	Cmp	Att	Yds	TD	Int	Rtg	Att	Yds	TD
Pittsburgh Panthers
2004	1	4	11	0	0	48.1	6	0	0
Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens
2006	264	417	2,783	18	10	128.8	83	54	5
2007	331	521	4,263	23	5	144.9	64	22	4
Career	596	942	7,057	41	15	137.4	153	76	9

Professional Career

Baltimore Ravens (2008–2018)

The Baltimore Ravens selected Flacco in the first round of the 2008 NFL draft. He was the 18th player chosen overall. This made him the highest-drafted player ever from the University of Delaware.

Rookie Success

Flacco (right) and Kyle Boller during 2008 training camp

Flacco became the starting quarterback right away as a rookie. He led the Ravens to the playoffs. In the playoffs, he became the first rookie quarterback in NFL history to win two playoff games on the road. The Ravens made it all the way to the AFC Championship Game before losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Flacco was named the NFL Rookie of the Year.

Super Bowl Champion

Flacco and the Ravens made the playoffs in each of his first five seasons. The 2012 season was his most memorable. The Ravens had to win several tough playoff games to reach the Super Bowl.

In a playoff game against the Denver Broncos, Flacco threw a 70-yard touchdown pass with less than a minute left to tie the game. This famous play is now called the "Mile High Miracle." The Ravens went on to win in overtime.

Flacco under center against the Steelers on December 2, 2012

The Ravens then beat the New England Patriots to advance to Super Bowl XLVII. In the Super Bowl, they faced the San Francisco 49ers. Flacco played an amazing game, throwing for 287 yards and three touchdowns. The Ravens won 34–31, and Flacco was named the Super Bowl MVP.

Later Years with the Ravens

After the Super Bowl win, Flacco signed a large contract, making him one of the highest-paid quarterbacks in the league at the time. He continued to be a solid starter for the Ravens for several more years.

In 2018, Flacco was injured, and a rookie quarterback named Lamar Jackson took his place. Jackson played very well, and he remained the starter even after Flacco was healthy.

A Journey Through the NFL

After the 2018 season, Flacco was traded to the Denver Broncos. His time in Denver was cut short by a neck injury. Over the next few years, he played for the New York Jets and the Philadelphia Eagles, mostly as a backup quarterback.

Flacco with the Broncos in 2019

In 2022, while playing for the Jets, he led a stunning comeback victory against the Cleveland Browns. The Jets were losing 30-17 with less than two minutes to play, but Flacco threw two touchdown passes to win the game 31-30.

Cleveland Browns and a Great Comeback

Flacco with the Cleveland Browns in 2023

In November 2023, the Cleveland Browns needed a quarterback after their starter, Deshaun Watson, had a season-ending injury. They signed Flacco, who was not on any team at the time.

Flacco played so well that he became the starter for the rest of the season. He led the Browns to a 4-1 record in his five starts and helped them make the playoffs. He became the first player in NFL history to throw for at least 250 yards and two touchdowns in his first five games with a new team. For his incredible performance, he was named the NFL Comeback Player of the Year.

Indianapolis Colts and Return to Cleveland

In March 2024, Flacco signed a one-year deal with the Indianapolis Colts to be the backup to Anthony Richardson. He started several games when Richardson was injured or struggling.

On April 11, 2025, Flacco signed a contract to return to the Cleveland Browns.

NFL Career Statistics

Legend
	Super Bowl MVP
	Won the Super Bowl
	NFL record
Bold	Career high

Regular Season

Year	Team	Games			Passing									Rushing					Sacked		Fumbles
Year	Team	GP	GS	Record	Cmp	Att	Pct	Yds	Y/A	Lng	TD	Int	Rtg	Att	Yds	Y/A	Lng	TD	Sck	SckY	Fum	Lost
2008	BAL	16	16	11–5	257	428	60.0	2,971	6.9	70	14	12	80.3	52	180	3.5	38	2	32	276	11	2
2009	BAL	16	16	9–7	315	499	63.1	3,613	7.2	72	21	12	88.9	35	56	1.6	10	0	36	218	8	2
2010	BAL	16	16	12–4	306	489	62.6	3,622	7.4	67	25	10	93.6	43	84	2.0	14	1	40	294	9	4
2011	BAL	16	16	12–4	312	542	57.6	3,610	6.7	74	20	12	80.9	39	88	2.3	33	1	31	203	11	6
2012	BAL	16	16	10–6	317	531	59.7	3,817	7.2	61	22	10	87.7	32	22	0.7	16	3	35	227	9	4
2013	BAL	16	16	8–8	362	614	59.0	3,912	6.4	74	19	22	73.1	27	131	4.9	22	1	48	324	8	2
2014	BAL	16	16	10–6	344	554	62.1	3,986	7.2	80	27	12	91.0	39	70	1.8	15	2	19	167	5	0
2015	BAL	10	10	3–7	266	413	64.4	2,791	6.8	50	14	12	83.1	13	23	1.8	16	3	16	124	5	2
2016	BAL	16	16	8–8	436	672	64.9	4,317	6.4	95	20	15	83.5	21	58	2.8	16	2	33	243	5	3
2017	BAL	16	16	9–7	352	549	64.1	3,141	5.7	66	18	13	80.4	25	54	2.2	25	1	27	205	6	0
2018	BAL	9	9	4–5	232	379	61.2	2,465	6.5	71	12	6	84.2	19	45	2.4	13	0	16	79	3	1
2019	DEN	8	8	2–6	171	262	65.3	1,822	7.0	70	6	5	85.1	12	20	1.7	9	0	26	194	8	3
2020	NYJ	5	4	0–4	74	134	55.2	864	6.4	52	6	3	80.6	6	22	3.7	9	0	7	69	1	0
2021	NYJ	2	1	0–1	27	42	64.3	338	8.0	62	3	0	113.0	2	3	1.5	2	0	2	13	1	1
2022	NYJ	5	4	1–3	110	191	57.6	1,051	5.5	66	5	3	75.2	3	6	2.0	7	0	10	66	5	4
2023	CLE	5	5	4–1	123	204	60.3	1,616	7.9	75	13	8	90.2	9	2	0.2	3	0	8	57	4	1
2024	IND	8	6	2–4	162	248	65.3	1,761	7.1	65	12	7	90.5	9	26	2.9	21	0	18	123	4	4
Career		196	191	105–86	4,166	6,751	61.7	45,697	6.8	95	257	162	84.4	386	890	2.3	38	16	404	2,882	103	39

Postseason

Year	Team	Games			Passing									Rushing					Sacked		Fumbles
Year	Team	GP	GS	Record	Cmp	Att	Pct	Yds	Y/A	Lng	TD	Int	Rtg	Att	Yds	Y/A	Lng	TD	Sck	SckY	Fum	Lost
2008	BAL	3	3	2–1	33	75	44.0	437	5.8	48	1	3	50.8	12	5	0.4	5	1	3	16	0	0
2009	BAL	2	2	1–1	24	45	53.3	223	5.0	27	0	3	39.4	7	7	1.0	7	0	1	6	0	0
2010	BAL	2	2	1–1	41	64	64.1	390	6.1	28	3	1	90.0	9	25	2.8	13	0	9	51	3	2
2011	BAL	2	2	1–1	36	63	57.1	482	7.7	42	4	1	96.1	6	26	4.3	14	0	8	60	1	0
2012	BAL	4	4	4–0	73	126	57.9	1,140	9.0	70	11	0	117.2	8	16	2.0	14	0	6	38	1	1
2014	BAL	2	2	1–1	46	74	62.2	551	7.4	40	6	2	100.7	8	8	1.0	9	0	1	13	1	0
2023	CLE	1	1	0–1	34	46	73.9	307	6.7	47	1	2	80.6	3	13	4.3	8	0	4	39	0	0
Career		16	16	10–6	287	493	58.2	3,530	7.2	70	26	12	87.9	53	100	1.9	14	1	32	223	6	3

Personal Life

Flacco and his wife, Dana, have five children: four sons and one daughter. He is the oldest of five brothers. His youngest brother, Tom Flacco, is also a football quarterback who played in college and was signed by a team in the Canadian Football League.

In 2018, Flacco made a large donation to the University of Delaware's sports program. It was the largest donation ever from a former Delaware student who played in the NFL. In 2024, the university gave him an honorary doctorate degree for his achievements and contributions.