Impending free agent quarterback Joe Flacco would certainly welcome a return to the Cleveland Browns, remarking on The SiriusXM Blitz with Bruce Murray that “all things equal, Cleveland is definitely the place I feel best about.”

Flacco, the reigning AP Comeback Player of the Year, led the Browns to four straight wins down the stretch en route to helping Cleveland earn a playoff berth.

He was initially signed to the practice squad on Nov. 20 after starting quarterback Deshaun Watson was lost shoulder injury. Flacco was later called into starting duty and finished the year with 1,616 yards and 13 touchdowns in five games.

Flacco also said in the same interview that “probably” the biggest factor in his free agency decision is getting the opportunity to play football. He won’t get that chance leading into the 2024 campaign in Cleveland, which will give the QB1 reins back to Watson.

However, Flacco couldn’t help but note how much Cleveland meant to him and his family, noting “how special the city was.”

“Cleveland is an unbelievable place, and it will hold a special value when I make those decisions,” Flacco noted.

Flacco was the Baltimore Ravens’ starting quarterback for a full decade (winning a Super Bowl in 2012) before Lamar Jackson took over as QB1 midway through the 2018 season. He’s bounced around the NFL ever since, making a few starts here and there but never really finding a new place to call home.

What Flacco did in Cleveland, however, was nothing short of exceptional as he turned into one of the NFL’s most impressive quarterbacks for a month-plus.

With that, Flacco understandably wants to parlay that run into a chance at more playing time, and perhaps there’s a team out there who could give him that chance.

If not, though, then the Browns should welcome him back with open arms, as he would provide a great safety net for the team if Watson can’t suit up.