Joe Flacco leads the Cleveland Browns to the playoffs – and makes his current employer painfully aware once again of how nonsensical last year’s trade for Deshaun Watson was. One comment.

“In Flacco we trust” – more and more Cleveland Browns fans are following this motto these days. In just a few weeks, Joe Flacco has managed to become the darling of a franchise that apparently needed exactly this story.

The now 38-year-old had been out of work since last March after an unedifying interlude with the New York Jets, but had repeatedly reiterated that he was not done with the NFL. Quite a few people rolled their eyes, some probably wanted to tell Flacco: Let it go, kid. It’s over.

But in six weeks with the Browns, all Flacco critics have fallen silent. The 2013 Super Bowl winner has breathed new life into a good team that previously suffered from a lack of quarterback talent.

The Browns won four games in a row with Flacco. The victory against his former team made a playoff appearance perfect, which was hanging by a thread in mid-November. But then the old man took over – and everything got better.

In four of the five games with Flacco, the Browns scored more than 30 points and he himself never threw for less than 250 yards in this period. His 13 touchdowns mask the fact that he is prone to turnovers, as he has already thrown eight interceptions.

But in the NFL, victories count. And the Browns win games with Flacco because he does exactly what it takes to be successful with this team. None of the other three Browns quarterbacks have been able to do that consistently this season. Not rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson, of course, not P.J. Walker – and not Deshaun Watson.

Watson trade is becoming more and more of a farce

As much as those responsible around General Manager Andrew Berry and Head Coach Kevin Stefanski can be celebrated for the Flacco idea, the trade for Watson in March 2022 becomes more and more of a farce with every good Flacco game.

As a reminder, the Browns sent their 2022, 2023 and 2024 first-round picks, a 2023 third-round pick and two 2022 and 2024 fourth-round picks to the Houston Texans to pry Watson loose. Shortly afterwards, they signed the quarterback to a fully guaranteed five-year contract worth 230 million dollars.

Even then, the trade drew fierce criticism, not because of Watson’s sporting achievements, but because of the numerous allegations of sexual harassment that were circulating at the time. Although Watson did not face criminal charges, the evidence was enough for the NFL to suspend him for eleven games in the 2022 season.

Comparison with Watson: Flacco doesn’t play any worse

The Browns became the bogeyman of the league, but were banking on the fact that the sporting benefits would be such that at least their own fans would forget the issue and celebrate their joint successes with the new franchise quarterback.

In the meantime, however, the trade is increasingly proving to be a fiasco in sporting terms. Watson not only missed the eleven games of the pre-season, but also only played six games in 2023 before his season ended prematurely due to a shoulder injury.

Amari Cooper (Cleveland Browns)
The Cleveland Browns were without wide receiver Amari Cooper for their 37-20 win over the New York Jets. The franchise announced an hour before the start of the game that the pass receiver would not play. Cooper is suffering from a heel injury. His absence can be seen as a precautionary measure so as not to jeopardize the team’s playoff aspirations. 

And when Watson played, there was hardly any sign of the 2020 MVP candidate. For comparison: In one more game, he threw just under half as many touchdowns as Flacco (7 to 13), his completion rate was only marginally better (61.4 to 60.3) and the passer rating clearly speaks in favor of the oldie (90.2 to 84.3).

In short: Flacco plays no worse than Watson. What Watson has brought to the Browns athletically so far, they could have gotten much cheaper. Flacco’s contract is worth a total of 2.5 million dollars until the end of the season, although this can increase with win bonuses per game.

Dismissal of Watson ruled out

In light of this, it’s almost ironic that Baker Mayfield, of all people, who was once considered the Browns’ quarterback of the future and then had to make room for Watson, is now playing perhaps the best season of his career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The contract the Browns served Watson also effectively rules out his release. If the Browns were to part ways with him in the coming offseason, a staggering 200 million dollars would be on the books as a dead cap. Cleveland has committed to Watson for years – and must now live with the consequences.

And so every additional game won, every additional touchdown scored by Flacco will trigger tears of both joy and sadness for the Browns. Because what else would have been possible with this team without an overpriced quarterback weighing down the cap space?