Joe Flacco likely to part ways with Colts and 3 possible destinations

This probably won’t happen but what if it did?

The Indianapolis Colts signed Joe Flacco in free agency, which made sense. Following Gardner Minshew’s signing with the Raiders, the management sought to guarantee Anthony Richardson had a quality backup. Flacco hadn’t signed with anyone a year earlier because many people assumed he was done, but he went on to help the Cleveland Browns make the playoffs.

Flacco is currently valuable as a backup quarterback, but that may not last much longer. According to Brent Sobleski of Bleacher Report, now is the moment to deal Flacco if the Colts have any interest in doing so.

“However, the Colts appear to be hedging their bet so that even if Richardson is injured again, they can still make the playoffs. What they should be doing is going all in on Richardson. He’s the guy. The offense is based around his distinct physical abilities, while Flacco essentially falls on the opposite end of the spectrum. If another team wants to give Flacco another chance to prove himself, the Colts may maximize trade value and add $3.5 million to next year’s rollover cap.

If another team becomes concerned, whether because they lack a viable option at the most important position in the sport or because they require a better backup, what would stop them from calling the Colts head office and enquiring about Flacco? If this were to happen, here are three teams that could be good fits for the 16-year veteran.

Let me stress that the Colts appear unlikely to trade Flacco. They brought him to Indianapolis this offseason for a reason: to be a stable and trustworthy backup to Anthony Richardson (even though Kirk Herbstreit believes the Colts will have a quarterback controversy this season).

When the Bleacher Report piece was released, I thought it would be amusing to look into other possible destinations for the former Delaware quarterback.

Green Bay Packers

There may not be a worse backup quarterback situation than what the Packers offense faces in Green Bay. Fortunately for them, Jordan Love appears to be a stud, but if he goes down, the Packers’ choices for their QB2 place as of this writing are Sean Clifford and Michael Pratt, neither of whom impressed in the preseason.

Flacco would provide the Packers with a far superior backup option if Love were to be injured, and he would most likely not break the bank. Don’t anticipate the Packers to follow this path, but it isn’t the most unlikely situation.

Minnesota Vikings

Sticking with the NFC North, the Vikings were given a devastating blow when it was announced that first-round rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy would miss the entire 2024 season due to injury. The Vikings will now start Sam Darnold, and if history repeats itself, Vikings fans will be in for a lengthy season.

Minnesota might benefit from adding a more dependable quarterback option, such as Flacco. They could still let Darnold try to be the guy, and if he struggles, Flacco can take over and see if he can recapture some of the magic from his 2023 season with the Browns.

Las Vegas Raiders

The Raiders don’t have a terrific quarterback position heading into the 2024 season. While former Colt Gardner Minshew won the starting job, Colts supporters are fully aware that he will not lead a team to the heights they desire. Aidan O’Connell was also competing for the starting job, and despite starting 10 games for the Raiders in 2023, he was passed over for the position.

Flacco’s arrival in Las Vegas would make things even more fascinating in that quarterback room, and he would likely win the job over the other two candidates. Given that they currently have two quarterbacks, the Raiders are unlikely to trade for Flacco and will instead attempt to draft one in the 2025 draft.

Still, if the Raiders decide to make a postseason push in 2024, Flacco is better suited to help them than the other two players on the roster.