History of Joe Flacco in Timeline

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 at Pittsburgh and Delaware. He is known for his strong arm and led the Ravens to victory in Super Bowl XLVII, earning the game's MVP award.

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Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements

January 16, 1985: Joe Flacco's Birth

On January 16, 1985, Joseph Vincent Flacco was born. He is an American professional football quarterback.

2004: First Consecutive Playoff Misses Since 2004-2005

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

2005: Ravens Last Home Opener Loss

In 2005, the Ravens experienced their last home opener loss prior to the 2014 season game against the Bengals.

2005: First Consecutive Playoff Misses Since 2004-2005

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

July 16, 2008: Flacco signs with the Ravens

On July 16, 2008, Joe Flacco signed a five-year contract with the Baltimore Ravens with a maximum value of around $30 million, including $8.75 million guaranteed.

January 2009: Named Diet Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Year

In January 2009, Joe Flacco was named the Diet Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Year.

2009: Best Record After Three Games Since 2009

Following their Week 3 victory against the Jaguars in 2016, Joe Flacco and the Ravens achieved a 3-0 record, marking their best start after three games since 2009.

April 2012: Flacco States He Is the Best Quarterback

In April 2012, Joe Flacco said that he was the best quarterback in the NFL, better than Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, or Aaron Rodgers.

January 6, 2013: Wild Card Round against the Indianapolis Colts

On January 6, 2013, in the Wild Card round game against the Indianapolis Colts, Joe Flacco finished the game with a career postseason high 125.6 passer rating. The Ravens won the game 24-9 at home.

January 2013: Flacco Endorses Haribo and McDonald's

In January 2013, Joe Flacco endorsed Haribo and signed an endorsement deal with McDonald's to promote their new menu item, the Mighty Wings.

January 20, 2013: Ravens win AFC Championship

On January 20, 2013, Joe Flacco and the Baltimore Ravens defeated the New England Patriots 28-13 in the AFC Championship Game, securing their spot in Super Bowl XLVII. Flacco threw for 240 yards and three touchdowns, notching his third straight game with a passer rating over 100.

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. Flacco completed 22 of 33 passes for 287 yards and three touchdowns, earning him the game's Most Valuable Player award and a brand-new 2014 Chevrolet Corvette.

March 4, 2013: Highest-Paid Quarterback

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

September 15, 2013: Birth of Second Son

On September 15, 2013, Joe Flacco's second son was born, approximately one hour before the start of the Ravens' home opener.

2013: Start to Free Agency

In 2013, Joe Flacco experienced what The New York Times described as "might be the best start to a player's free agency in the history of professional sports" after his contract expired. He was also ranked 19th by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2013.

2013: First pick-six since 2013 season finale

In 2015, Joe Flacco's interception against the Broncos in their season opener marked his first pick-six since the 2013 season finale.

2013: Statistically Worst Season

The 2013 season was statistically the worst of Joe Flacco's career. He threw more interceptions than touchdowns, with 22 interceptions and 19 touchdowns. His passer rating was a career low 73.1, and he was sacked 48 times. Despite this, he set a high in passing yards with 3,912. The Ravens finished 8–8, and Flacco missed the playoffs for the first time. He was ranked 58th by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2014.

2014: Best Regular Season

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), fumbles (5), and fumbles lost (0). He led Baltimore to a 10–6 record.

2014: Pro Bowl Invitation

In 2014, Joe Flacco was invited to the 2015 Pro Bowl as an alternate, but declined the opportunity due to his wife's pregnancy.

2014: NFL Top 100 Ranking

In 2014, Joe Flacco was ranked 58th by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players list, reflecting his performance in the previous season.

2014: Home Opener Loss Against Bengals

In the 2014 season home opener, Joe Flacco and the Ravens lost to the Bengals 16-23. Despite Flacco throwing for a season-high 345 passing yards and an 80-yard touchdown pass to Steve Smith Sr., which was his longest touchdown throw at the time, the Ravens lost their first home opener since 2005.

January 2015: Flacco's First Pro Bowl Selection

Prior to January 2015, Joe Flacco had never been selected for the Pro Bowl.

2015: Lowest NFL Top 100 Ranking

In 2015, Joe Flacco was ranked number 97 on the NFL Top 100 Players list, marking the lowest he had ever been ranked. This was a significant drop from his previous year's ranking of 58.

2015: Season Opener Interceptions

In the 2015 season opener against the Broncos, Joe Flacco threw two interceptions, including a pick-six, contributing to a 19-13 loss. One interception in the endzone sealed the game for Denver. The game was reminiscent of Flacco's earlier breakout playoff performance at the same venue.

2015: Season-Ending Injury

In the Week 11 game of 2015 against the Rams, Joe Flacco suffered a torn ACL and MCL, ending his season. He completed the drive despite the injury to put the Ravens in position for the game-winning field goal, which they secured, winning the game 16-13.

2015: Declined Pro Bowl Invitation

Joe Flacco was invited to the 2015 Pro Bowl as an alternate for his performance in the 2014 season, but he turned down the opportunity to play because his wife, Dana, was due to give birth to the couple's third child the same month.

March 2, 2016: Contract Extension with the Ravens

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

July 26, 2017: Back Injury Diagnosis

On July 26, 2017, Joe Flacco was diagnosed with a back injury, which sidelined him for 3–6 weeks of training camp.

September 9, 2018: Season-Opening Win Against Bills

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

2018: Backup to 2018 first-round pick

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

February 13, 2019: Trade Agreement 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: Official Trade to Broncos

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

March 19, 2020: Release from Broncos

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

April 2020: Neck Surgery

In April 2020, Joe Flacco underwent neck surgery following his release from the Denver Broncos.

May 27, 2020: Signs with New York Jets

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

July 30, 2020: Placed on PUP List

On July 30, 2020, Joe Flacco was placed on the active/physically unable to perform list at the start of training camp.

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 against the Cardinals due to Sam Darnold's shoulder injury.

2020: Backing up 2020 Second-Round Pick

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

March 25, 2021: Signs with Philadelphia 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 Philadelphia Eagles traded Joe Flacco back to the New York Jets for a conditional sixth-round draft pick, after Zach Wilson suffered a knee injury.

November 17, 2021: Named Starting Quarterback

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

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 and $3.5 million. He 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 the Cleveland Browns practice squad

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

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, which marked a nine-year gap between playoff starts. The Browns lost 45-14, marking Flacco's first loss in a Wild Card game.

March 22, 2024: Flacco Signed with Indianapolis Colts

On March 22, 2024, Joe Flacco signed a one-year deal with the Indianapolis Colts. He began as a backup but took over as starter in Week 4 due to an injury to Anthony Richardson.