Joe Flacco

Joseph Vincent Flacco (born January 16, 1985) is an American professional football quarterback for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Pittsburgh Panthers and the Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens before being selected by the Baltimore Ravens in the first round of the 2008 NFL draft.

Flacco was Baltimore's starting quarterback from 2008 until midway through the 2018 season, helping lead the Ravens to the playoffs six times during his tenure in Baltimore. The Ravens won the AFC North twice, appeared in three AFC Championship Games, and won Super Bowl XLVII following the 2012 season. Flacco was named Super Bowl XLVII's MVP, concluding a postseason run in which he tied Joe Montana's single postseason record for touchdown passes (11) without an interception. That off-season, he signed a six-year contract worth $120.6 million, a record high for a quarterback at the time.

A decline in performance and a hip injury resulted in Flacco losing his starting position to rookie backup Lamar Jackson; he was subsequently traded to the Denver Broncos in 2019. A neck injury cut his season short and he was waived by the Broncos with a failed physical designation. Flacco joined the Jets in 2020 as a backup to Sam Darnold. He then signed with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2021, but was traded back to the Jets after they lost Zach Wilson to injury. Flacco joined the Browns midway through the 2023 season following a season-ending injury to Deshaun Watson. He led Cleveland to a playoff berth and won the Comeback Player of the Year award. He later signed a one-year deal with the Indianapolis Colts before returning to Cleveland in 2025. A few weeks into the 2025 season, Flacco was traded to the Cincinnati Bengals after they lost Joe Burrow to injury, and he was selected to his first-ever Pro Bowl at the end of that season (he was previously invited to the 2015 Pro Bowl following the 2014 season, but declined). At the height of his career, Flacco was also known for having one of the strongest arms in the NFL.

Early life

Flacco was born on January 16, 1985, in Voorhees Township, New Jersey, and raised in nearby Audubon, New Jersey, the eldest of six children to Karen (née Madden) and Steve Flacco. The Flacco family is originally from Haddon Township, New Jersey. Flacco played football, baseball, and basketball at Audubon High School and was the starting quarterback for the Green Wave. Regarded as a three-star recruit by Rivals.com, Flacco was listed as No. 39 among quarterback prospects in the class of 2003.

College career

Pittsburgh

Flacco was redshirted as a freshman for the Pittsburgh Panthers football team that went 8–5 in 2003.

In 2004, Flacco was the backup quarterback behind starter Tyler Palko, who led the team to an 8–4 record. He saw action in three games against the Ohio Bobcats, Nebraska Cornhuskers, and South Florida Bulls football. Flacco threw four passes and finished the season with one completion for 11 yards and a 25-yard punt.

Delaware

Flacco, still listed behind Palko on the depth chart, decided to transfer to the University of Delaware in 2005. Not only was he ineligible to play that season, he also had to pay to go to Delaware as Pittsburgh would not release him from his scholarship. He saw his first full-time action during the 2006 season, throwing for 2,783 yards, 18 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. The Fightin' Blue Hens ultimately struggled to a 5–6 record and failed to qualify for the FCS playoffs.

In the 2007 season, Flacco led his team to an 8–3 regular-season record while compiling 4,263 yards, 23 touchdowns and 5 interceptions. Arguably his best game came against Navy where he threw for 434 yards and four touchdowns. Flacco showed another solid performance in the first-ever meeting against the Delaware State Hornets in the first round of the playoffs. Behind Omar Cuff's record-setting day, Flacco threw efficiently for 189 yards and a touchdown, leading the Blue Hens to a 44–7 victory. Flacco continued Delaware's playoff run by upsetting the Northern Iowa Panthers 39–27 in the FCS quarterfinals and upsetting the Southern Illinois Salukis 20–17 the next weekend in the semifinals. Flacco threw two touchdowns to win against both the Panthers and Salukis, but went on to lose in the FCS National Championship Game to the Appalachian State Mountaineers 49–21.

Flacco set 20 school records during his career at Delaware.

Statistics

Professional career

Pre-draft

At Delaware, Flacco was pessimistic about his chances to play in the NFL, and after his junior year asked his coach for permission to play baseball. The coach predicted that he would be selected in the NFL draft, surprising Flacco. With a solid showing at the Senior Bowl and NFL Combine, Flacco solidified himself as a top five quarterback in the 2008 NFL draft. Flacco won the long distance throw competition in ESPN's State Farm College Football All-Star Challenge with a 74-yard throw, beating out Matt Ryan, Colt Brennan, Chad Henne, and John David Booty, later winning the Taco Bell Quarterback Scramble with a time of 15.72 seconds.

Members of the Baltimore Ravens' front office, having attended Flacco's workout at the Senior Bowl, were impressed by his ability to throw in rainy and windy conditions. Flacco again impressed the Ravens' personnel in the poor weather conditions of his workout at Delaware, despite their low expectations given Delaware's small-school pedigree—Flacco performed the workout on an uncut, unlined field with his own footballs. Ravens assistant general manager Eric DeCosta later stated the workouts left him confident Flacco could succeed in the late-season conditions in Pittsburgh, Cleveland, and Cincinnati.

Baltimore Ravens

2008

Flacco was selected by the Ravens in the first round as the 18th overall pick in the 2008 NFL draft after the team traded out of the eighth overall selection to the 26th, then up again. The selection made Flacco the highest drafted player ever from the University of Delaware. He was also the first Division I-FCS (formerly I-AA) quarterback selected in the first round of the draft since Steve McNair went third overall to the Houston Oilers in the 1995 NFL draft. Draft commentators initially criticized the pick as a "reach", feeling Flacco would likely have still been available in the middle of the second round. DeCosta, however, stated waiting was too much of a gamble and that choosing Flacco in the first round was "an easy decision to make." On July 16, 2008, he signed a five-year contract with a maximum value of around $30 million, and $8.75 million guaranteed.

Due to a season-ending injury to incumbent starter Kyle Boller and an illness to former Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith, Flacco became the starting quarterback in the 2008 season opener against the Cincinnati Bengals. He completed 15 of 29 passes for 129 yards, his longest pass being a 15-yard play to Derrick Mason. He threw no touchdowns and no interceptions in his debut, but he had a 38-yard rushing touchdown, which was the longest rushing touchdown by a quarterback in Ravens' franchise history at the time (the record has since been broken several times by Lamar Jackson). Flacco's touchdown put the Ravens up by 17–3; the team eventually won the game 17–10.

In his first season, Flacco was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week in Week 9, NFL Rookie of the week, the NFLPA Rookie of the week, and NFL Rookie of the Month for November. Flacco finished his rookie season 257/428 for 2,971 yards with a total of 16 touchdowns (14 passing, 2 rushing), and 14 turnovers (12 interceptions and 2 lost fumbles).

In the wild card round of the 2008–09 NFL playoffs, Flacco became only the third rookie quarterback in NFL history to win his first post-season start, and the first to do it on the road, when the Ravens defeated the Miami Dolphins, 27–9. Flacco completed 9-of-23 attempted passes, accumulating 135 yards without throwing a touchdown or interception. He also scored the victory-sealing rushing touchdown on a quarterback draw in the 4th quarter. Shaun King, Ben Roethlisberger, Russell Wilson, Mark Sanchez, Brock Purdy, C. J. Stroud, and most recently Jayden Daniels are the only other rookie quarterbacks to ever win their debut playoff game.

He then won his second game against the Tennessee Titans. Flacco led the Ravens to a 13–10 win in the divisional playoff round. Flacco made tight-window throws to Todd Heap and Mark Clayton on the go ahead scoring drive in the fourth quarter to set up a game-winning field goal from Matt Stover. On the day, Flacco was 11-of-22 for 148 yards and a touchdown, without turning the ball over for the second straight game. He became the first rookie quarterback to win two playoff games.

In the AFC Championship Game versus the Steelers, the Ravens lost 23–14, with Flacco throwing for 141 yards, being sacked three times and throwing three interceptions, one being the game clincher to Troy Polamalu, who returned the pass for a touchdown.

Flacco was named the Diet Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Year in January 2009.