The Browns have decided to pay Flacco a $75,000 bonus despite the 38-year-old sitting out the inconsequential Week 18 matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals. Flacco’s original deal needed him to win and play 50% of the snaps to earn that number.
It’s a show of good faith from the Browns, who have thrived with Flacco. He’s 4-1 as the starter in Cleveland. Flacco passed for over 300 yards in four consecutive games — a team record.
Flacco has some big bonuses lined up if he finds success with the Browns in the postseason. He will earn $250,000 for a wild-card win, $500,000 for a Divisional Round win, $1 million for an AFC Championship Game win and $2 million for a Super Bowl win.
Flacco has found a nice home in Cleveland and is on one of the best stretches of his career. The humble veteran credited those around him for the success.
“You got to give a ton of credit to just, first of all, the offensive line. I think the pockets and just the amount of space that I’ve had back there to be able to get through my reads and then do some extra,” Flacco said on Wednesday, January 3. “You have to give a ton of credit to the wideouts. I think you have to give a ton of credit to Kevin (Stefanski). I mean, he’s called pretty aggressive games, I would say, over the last six weeks, and I think it’s made a little bit of a difference. So, there’s a lot of factors.”
Browns Starting Jeff Driskel in Place of Joe Flacco
The Browns are turning to newly-signed veteran Jeff Driskel for the season-finale. Driskel was signed off the Arizona Cardinals practice squad and has some familiarity with the Browns’ offensive system.
“He’s done a nice job. Very good understanding of the offense,” Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said on Friday, January 5. “Seamless in that regard. Does a good job calling the plays, has a good understanding of all the concepts that we’re calling, run game, pass game, that type of thing. So, been impressed.”
Driskel — who comes in at 6-foot-4, 235 pounds — is in his eighth NFL season out of Louisiana Tech. Originally a sixth-round draft pick by the 49ers in 2016, Driskel has some starting experience.
The 30-year-old QB has appeared in 23 career games with 11 starts with the Bengals (2018), Detroit Lions (2019), Denver Broncos (2020) and Houston Texans (2021-22). Driskel is 2-9 in games he has started.
Browns Sitting Other Key Starters Along With Joe Flacco
The Browns are using Week 18 as an improvised bye week, allowing some of their key players to get healthy ahead of a playoff push. Myles Garrett, Amari Cooper, Za’Darius Smith and Juan Thornhill will not be on the field either.
Garrett is one of the more interesting cases. He’s the leading candidate for Defensive Player of the Year but won’t have the final week of the season to solidify his case. Stefanski doesn’t think Garrett needs to do any more to prove he deserves the award.
“I don’t know that Myles needs to do anything more on a football field to convince anyone how important he’s been to our football team,” Stefanski said. “Said it before, I’ll say it again: he’s the best player on the best defense in the National Football League. That counts for something. Talk to the coaches that he goes against, ask them what they think about him as a player.”
With a chunk of their stars on the sideline, the Browns are a touchdown underdog against the Bengals.
