Career Timeline of Joe Flacco: Major Achievements and Milestones

From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Joe Flacco made an impact.

Joe Flacco is a professional American football quarterback currently playing for the Cleveland Browns. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the first round of the 2008 NFL Draft after playing college football for the Pittsburgh Panthers and the Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens. Known for his strong arm, Flacco led the Ravens to victory in Super Bowl XLVII and was named Super Bowl MVP. After several seasons with the Ravens, he played for the Denver Broncos, New York Jets, and Philadelphia Eagles before joining the Browns. He is considered a veteran quarterback with a notable career in the NFL.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements

1995: McNair Drafted by the Oilers

In the 1995 NFL draft, Steve McNair went third overall to the Houston Oilers, marking the last time a Division I-FCS quarterback was selected in the first round before Joe Flacco.

2003: Redshirted Freshman

In 2003, Joe Flacco was redshirted as a freshman for the Pittsburgh Panthers football team.

2004: Backup Quarterback at Pittsburgh

In 2004, Joe Flacco served as the backup quarterback at Pittsburgh behind Tyler Palko, seeing action in three games.

2004: Missed Playoffs for the Second Straight Season

In 2016, The Ravens missed the playoffs for the second straight season, the first consecutive playoff misses for the franchise since 2004-2005.

2005: Transferred to University of Delaware

In 2005, Joe Flacco transferred to the University of Delaware, becoming ineligible to play that season.

2005: Missed Playoffs for the Second Straight Season

In 2016, The Ravens missed the playoffs for the second straight season, the first consecutive playoff misses for the franchise since 2004-2005.

2006: First Full-Time Action at Delaware

During the 2006 season, Joe Flacco saw his first full-time action at the University of Delaware, throwing for 2,783 yards and 18 touchdowns.

2007: Led Delaware to FCS Championship Game

In the 2007 season, Joe Flacco led the University of Delaware to an 8-3 regular-season record, compiling 4,263 yards and 23 touchdowns, ultimately losing in the FCS National Championship Game to Appalachian State.

July 16, 2008: Signed with Baltimore Ravens

On July 16, 2008, Joe Flacco signed a five-year contract with the Baltimore Ravens.

2008: Wild Card Victory

During the 2008-09 NFL playoffs, Joe Flacco became the third rookie quarterback in NFL history to win his first post-season start, defeating the Miami Dolphins 27-9 in the wild card round.

2008: Starting Quarterback for Baltimore

From 2008, Joe Flacco became Baltimore's starting quarterback.

2008: NFL Draft Preparation

In 2008, Joe Flacco solidified himself as a top quarterback prospect through performances at the Senior Bowl and NFL Combine, also winning the long distance throw competition at ESPN's State Farm College Football All-Star Challenge.

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2008: Drafted by Ravens

In 2008, Joe Flacco was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the first round of the NFL draft.

2008: Became Starting Quarterback

In the 2008 season, due to injuries and illness of other quarterbacks, Joe Flacco became the starting quarterback for the Ravens, making his debut against the Cincinnati Bengals and leading the team to a 17-10 victory.

2009: Best Record After Three Games Since 2009

After their Week 3 victory against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Joe Flacco and the Ravens had accrued a 3-0 record, their best record after three games since 2009.

December 26, 2010: Playoff Appearance and Career Milestone

On December 26, 2010, Joe Flacco led his team to the playoffs for the third consecutive season and reached 10,000 career passing yards during a game against the Cleveland Browns.

2010: Mark Sanchez's Postseason Achievement

In 2010, Mark Sanchez was the first NFL quarterback to defeat both Peyton Manning and Tom Brady in the same postseason.

2010: Wild Card Victory Against Chiefs

In the 2010-11 NFL playoffs, Joe Flacco led the Ravens to a 30-7 victory against the Chiefs in the Wild Card Round, becoming the first quarterback in NFL history to start and win a playoff game in each of his first three seasons.

2011: Divisional Round Loss

In 2011, Joe Flacco and the Ravens lost to the Steelers in the Divisional Round of the NFL playoffs despite taking an early lead.

2012: Super Bowl XLVII Win

Following the 2012 season, the Ravens won Super Bowl XLVII with Joe Flacco as quarterback. He was named Super Bowl XLVII's MVP and then signed a six-year contract worth $120.6 million.

January 6, 2013: Wild Card Win and Divisional Round Rematch

On January 6, 2013, Joe Flacco led the Ravens to a 24-9 Wild Card victory against the Indianapolis Colts, setting up a Divisional Round rematch with the Denver Broncos, where he threw the "Mile High Miracle" touchdown pass to Jacoby Jones.

January 20, 2013: AFC Championship Victory

On January 20, 2013, Joe Flacco and the Ravens defeated the New England Patriots 28-13 in the AFC Championship Game, securing their spot in the 2013 Super Bowl. Flacco became the second NFL quarterback to defeat both Peyton Manning and Tom Brady in the same postseason since 2001.

February 3, 2013: Super Bowl XLVII Victory

On February 3, 2013, Joe Flacco led the Baltimore Ravens to a 34–31 victory over the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII. He completed 22 of 33 passes for 287 yards and three touchdowns, earning him the game's Most Valuable Player award and a 2014 Chevrolet Corvette.

March 4, 2013: Signed Record-Breaking Contract

On March 4, 2013, Joe Flacco signed a six-year contract worth $120.6 million, making him the highest-paid quarterback in NFL history at the time. However, he was soon surpassed by Aaron Rodgers and Matt Ryan.

2013: Statistically Worst Season

In 2013, Joe Flacco had statistically the worst season of his career, throwing more interceptions than touchdowns and missing the playoffs for the first time. Despite throwing for 3,912 passing yards, he had a career-low passer rating of 73.1.

2013: Ranked 19th on NFL Top 100 Players of 2013

In 2013, Joe Flacco was ranked 19th by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players list after his Super Bowl XLVII performance.

2014: Home Opener Loss Against Bengals

During the 2014 season home opener, the Ravens lost to the Bengals 16-23, despite an 80-yard touchdown pass from Joe Flacco to Steve Smith Sr., which was the longest touchdown throw of Flacco's career at the time. He finished the game with 345 passing yards, one touchdown, and one interception.

2014: Best Regular Season of Career

In 2014, Joe Flacco had the best regular season of his career, setting highs in passing yards (3,986), passing touchdowns (27), times sacked (19), and fumbles (5). He led Baltimore to a 10-6 record.

2014: Ranked 58th on NFL Top 100 Players of 2014

In 2014, Joe Flacco was ranked 58th by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players list. This came after a statistically poor season in 2013.

2015: Ranked 97th on NFL Top 100 Players

In 2015, Joe Flacco was ranked number 97 on the NFL Top 100 Players list, marking his lowest ranking on the list.

2015: Season-Ending Injuries

In 2015, during the Week 11 game against the Rams, Joe Flacco suffered a torn ACL and MCL, ending his season. He completed the drive despite the injuries, leading the Ravens to a 16-13 win.

March 2, 2016: Agreed to Three-Year Extension

On March 2, 2016, Joe Flacco agreed to a three-year contract extension to remain with the Baltimore Ravens.

September 9, 2018: Season-Opening Victory Against Bills

On September 9, 2018, Joe Flacco threw for three touchdowns and had a passer rating of 121.7 in the season-opening 47-3 victory against the Buffalo Bills.

2018: Backup Quarterback

In 2020, Joe Flacco signed with the New York Jets as the backup quarterback to 2018 first-round pick Sam Darnold.

2018: End of Starting Role in Baltimore

Midway through the 2018 season, Joe Flacco's tenure as the starting quarterback for Baltimore ended.

February 13, 2019: Agreed to Trade to Broncos

On February 13, 2019, the Ravens agreed to trade Joe Flacco to the Denver Broncos in exchange for their fourth-round pick in the 2019 NFL draft.

March 13, 2019: Trade to Broncos Official

On March 13, 2019, the trade sending Joe Flacco to the Denver Broncos became official.

2019: 2019 Season with the Broncos

During the 2019 season with the Broncos, Joe Flacco threw for 1,822 passing yards, six touchdowns, and five interceptions in eight games before suffering a season-ending neck injury.

2019: Traded to the Denver Broncos

In 2019, Joe Flacco was traded to the Denver Broncos.

March 19, 2020: Broncos Release Flacco

On March 19, 2020, the Broncos released Joe Flacco with a failed physical designation.

May 27, 2020: Signed with New York Jets

On May 27, 2020, Joe Flacco signed a one-year, $1.5 million deal with the New York Jets as a backup quarterback.

September 5, 2020: Activated from PUP List

On September 5, 2020, Joe Flacco was activated from the physically unable to perform list at the start of the regular season.

October 7, 2020: Named Jets' Starter

On October 7, 2020, Joe Flacco was named the starting quarterback for the Jets due to Sam Darnold's shoulder injury.

2020: Joined the New York Jets

In 2020, Joe Flacco joined the New York Jets as a backup quarterback.

2020: Backed up Jalen Hurts

In 2021, Joe Flacco signed with the Philadelphia Eagles to back up 2020 second-round pick Jalen Hurts.

March 25, 2021: Signed with Eagles

On March 25, 2021, Joe Flacco signed a one-year, $3.5 million contract with the Philadelphia Eagles to back up Jalen Hurts.

October 25, 2021: Traded Back to Jets

On October 25, 2021, the Eagles traded Joe Flacco back to the Jets for a conditional sixth-round draft pick after Zach Wilson suffered a knee injury.

November 17, 2021: Named Jets' Starting Quarterback

On November 17, 2021, Joe Flacco was named the starting quarterback for the Jets' Week 11 game against the Dolphins.

2021: Signed with Philadelphia Eagles and Traded Back to Jets

In 2021, Joe Flacco signed with the Philadelphia Eagles, but was later traded back to the New York Jets.

March 16, 2022: Flacco re-signed with the Jets

On March 16, 2022, Joe Flacco re-signed with the New York Jets for one year at $3.5 million and was named the starting quarterback for the first three weeks of the season due to Zach Wilson's injury.

November 20, 2023: Flacco signed to Cleveland Browns practice squad

On November 20, 2023, Joe Flacco signed with the Cleveland Browns practice squad following a season-ending injury to Deshaun Watson.

2023: Joined Cleveland Browns and Won Comeback Player of the Year

Midway through the 2023 season, Joe Flacco joined the Cleveland Browns, led them to a playoff berth, and won the Comeback Player of the Year award.

January 13, 2024: Flacco's first playoff start since 2015

On January 13, 2024, Joe Flacco made his first playoff start since 2015 against the Houston Texans in the Wild Card round, a nine-year gap that is the second-longest in NFL postseason history.