Joe Flacco focusing on playoffs, not revenge, vs. Jets: 'I'm happy to be where I am'
Flacco has led the Browns to three straight wins, putting them on the verge of clinching an AFC playoff spot
Revenge game? Joe Flacco isn't looking at Thursday night's matchup against the New York Jets that way at all.
The Cleveland Browns quarterback will face off against his old team this week — the same team that did not reach out to him after Aaron Rodgers went down with an Achilles injury in Week 1. Flacco played 12 games over three seasons with the Jets, but they were fine with rotating between Zach Wilson, Tim Boyle and Trevor Siemian under center.
"I enjoyed my time while I was there, and it is what it is," Flacco said this week. "I'm happy to be where I am, that's for sure."
Flacco, meanwhile, has started the Browns' last four games and led them to a 3-1 record with 1,307 passing yards and 10 touchdowns. That success has Cleveland fifth in the AFC playoff picture, needing a win (or some help) against the Jets to secure their spot in the postseason.
While Flacco is thriving, the Jets aren't thinking about what might have been. It wouldn't do any good any way.
“Never regret,’’ Jets head coach Robert Saleh said. “You always go into things with what you hope being a sound decision. Every decision we make comes with deep thought and logic. But no, there’s no regret.’’
In fairness to the Jets, who saw this heater coming from the soon-to-be 39-year-old Flacco? The team went 1-8 with him as a starter, and before the Browns signed him in November he had played only twice since Sept. 25, 2022.
Flacco's rise began when he joined Cleveland's practice squad following Deshaun Watson's season-ending shoulder injury. From there he was elevated to back up Dorian Thompson-Robinson before taking over the starting role and not giving up the job.
Having a chance to put the Browns in the playoffs for only the third time since 1994 is higher on the priority list for Flacco than beating his old team.
"There's 32 teams in the NFL. They're just another one," Flacco said. "I got a lot of guys over there I really respect and had an awesome few years in that locker room. So a lot of respect for those guys."