# Joe Flacco
**Joe Flacco** (born 1985) is an [American football](https://www.edgepedia.org/american-football) quarterback, a 19-year NFL veteran who won [Super Bowl XLVII](https://www.edgepedia.org/super-bowl-xlvii) with the [Baltimore Ravens](https://www.edgepedia.org/baltimore-ravens) and was named that game's Most Valuable Player, and who ranks 14th in NFL history with 48,176 career passing yards and 21st with 272 touchdown passes.[1](https://www.bengals.com/team/players-roster/joe-flacco/career)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1985[1](https://www.bengals.com/team/players-roster/joe-flacco/career) |
| Draft | First round, 18th overall, 2008 NFL Draft, Baltimore Ravens[2](https://www.profootballarchives.com/players/f/flac00100.html) |
| Ravens career | 2008–18; Ravens all-time passing leader with 38,245 yards and 212 touchdowns[3](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/rav/draft.htm) |
| Super Bowl XLVII | MVP after leading Baltimore to a 34–31 win over San Francisco; 11 TD passes and 0 interceptions in that postseason[4](https://static.www.nfl.com/league/apps/league-site/media-guides/2021/PHI.pdf) |
| Later teams | Denver (2019), New York Jets (2020–22), Cleveland (2023, 2025), Indianapolis (2024), Cincinnati (2025–)[1](https://www.bengals.com/team/players-roster/joe-flacco/career) |
| Career totals | 48,176 passing yards, 272 TD passes, 61.6% completion rate through the 2025 season[1](https://www.bengals.com/team/players-roster/joe-flacco/career) |
## College career
Flacco began at the [University of Pittsburgh](https://www.edgepedia.org/university-of-pittsburgh), where he played two seasons (2003–04) and attempted only four passes, then transferred to the [University of Delaware](https://www.edgepedia.org/university-of-delaware), where he played his final three college seasons (2005–07).[6](https://www.nfl.com/news/with-ryan-gone-ravens-trade-twice-and-get-flacco-09000d5d807ff97f) • [1](https://www.bengals.com/team/players-roster/joe-flacco/career) During his two years at Delaware, Flacco broke 20 school marks: over his career he led the program in completions (595) and attempts (938), and in a single season he topped it with 331 completions, 521 attempts, and 4,263 yards.[7](https://www.baltimoreravens.com/news/press-release-ravens-roster-moves-7745261) He led Delaware to the NCAA Championship Subdivision title game.[6](https://www.nfl.com/news/with-ryan-gone-ravens-trade-twice-and-get-flacco-09000d5d807ff97f)
## Ravens years and the 2012 championship
Baltimore selected Flacco 18th overall in the 2008 draft after being unable to trade up for [Matt Ryan](https://www.edgepedia.org/matt-ryan), and he started as a rookie.[6](https://www.nfl.com/news/with-ryan-gone-ravens-trade-twice-and-get-flacco-09000d5d807ff97f) He spent his first 11 seasons with the Ravens (2008–18) and opened his career with a streak of 122 consecutive starts without missing a game.[1](https://www.bengals.com/team/players-roster/joe-flacco/career) He remains the Ravens' all-time passing leader with 38,245 yards and 212 touchdowns.[3](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/rav/draft.htm)
**Super Bowl XLVII.** After the 2012 season Flacco led Baltimore to a 34–31 victory over the [San Francisco 49ers](https://www.edgepedia.org/san-francisco-49ers) in Super Bowl XLVII and was named the game's MVP after throwing for 287 yards and three touchdowns.[4](https://static.www.nfl.com/league/apps/league-site/media-guides/2021/PHI.pdf) Across that postseason he completed 73 of 126 passes for 1,140 yards, 11 touchdowns, and no interceptions, a 117.2 passer rating, trailing [Joe Montana](https://www.edgepedia.org/joe-montana)'s 146.4 rating from the 1989 postseason; he joined Joe Montana (1989) as the only quarterbacks with 11 touchdown passes and no interceptions in a single postseason.[8](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fancy-stats/wp/2018/02/05/did-nick-foles-have-the-best-qb-postseason-ever-nope-that-belongs-to-joe-flacco/) • [4](https://static.www.nfl.com/league/apps/league-site/media-guides/2021/PHI.pdf) • [11](https://www.nfl.com/news/top-clutch-quarterbacks-in-playoff-history-0ap3000000781681)
His road playoff success was notable: seven postseason road wins, the most of any NFL quarterback, and he was the first quarterback to reach the playoffs in six of his first seven seasons.[9](https://static.www.nfl.com/league/apps/league-site/media-guides/2022/NYJ.pdf)
## Later career
Flacco was traded to Denver in March 2019 and later started for the Jets (2020–22), [Cleveland](https://www.edgepedia.org/cleveland) (2023 and 2025), and [Indianapolis](https://www.edgepedia.org/indianapolis) (2024).[1](https://www.bengals.com/team/players-roster/joe-flacco/career) In late 2023, signed from Cleveland's practice squad, he started five games and went 4–1 with 13 touchdown passes, steering the Browns to a playoff berth and winning the AP Comeback Player of the Year award.[1](https://www.bengals.com/team/players-roster/joe-flacco/career) • [5](https://apnews.com/article/ec8e5dfb847a1007e8cb965934be5511)
In October 2025 Cleveland traded him to [Cincinnati](https://www.edgepedia.org/cincinnati), where he started six games; at age 40 he became the oldest quarterback ever to start a game for the Bengals, completing 154 of 250 passes for 1,636 yards and 13 touchdowns with four interceptions in that stretch.[1](https://www.bengals.com/team/players-roster/joe-flacco/career) He re-signed with Cincinnati in March 2026 for a 19th season.[1](https://www.bengals.com/team/players-roster/joe-flacco/career)
## Playing style and legacy
Scouts have described Flacco as a classic drop-back passer with a big arm and solid fundamentals.[10](https://www.nfl.com/news/flacco-must-find-playoff-success-to-be-considered-franchise-qb-09000d5d82050e68) His postseason record divides opinion: early in his career analysts criticized his playoff production, citing a 61.6 passer rating over his first seven playoff games, while his 2012 run and later career made him a frequently cited example of a quarterback whose postseason play exceeded his regular-season numbers.[10](https://www.nfl.com/news/flacco-must-find-playoff-success-to-be-considered-franchise-qb-09000d5d82050e68) • [8](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fancy-stats/wp/2018/02/05/did-nick-foles-have-the-best-qb-postseason-ever-nope-that-belongs-to-joe-flacco/)
## References
1. [Joe Flacco career page, Cincinnati Bengals](https://www.bengals.com/team/players-roster/joe-flacco/career)
2. [Joe Flacco, Pro Football Archives](https://www.profootballarchives.com/players/f/flac00100.html)
3. [Baltimore Ravens All-Time Draft History, Pro-Football-Reference](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/rav/draft.htm)
4. [Joe Flacco media guide notes, NFL.com (Philadelphia Eagles, 2021)](https://static.www.nfl.com/league/apps/league-site/media-guides/2021/PHI.pdf)
5. [NFL Awards Live Updates, AP News](https://apnews.com/article/ec8e5dfb847a1007e8cb965934be5511)
6. [With Ryan gone, Ravens trade twice and get Flacco, NFL.com](https://www.nfl.com/news/with-ryan-gone-ravens-trade-twice-and-get-flacco-09000d5d807ff97f)
7. [Ravens Roster Moves press release, BaltimoreRavens.com](https://www.baltimoreravens.com/news/press-release-ravens-roster-moves-7745261)
8. [Nick Foles's postseason performance was topped only by Joe Flacco's, The Washington Post](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fancy-stats/wp/2018/02/05/did-nick-foles-have-the-best-qb-postseason-ever-nope-that-belongs-to-joe-flacco/)
9. [Joe Flacco media guide notes, NFL.com (New York Jets, 2022)](https://static.www.nfl.com/league/apps/league-site/media-guides/2022/NYJ.pdf)
10. [Flacco must find playoff success to be considered franchise QB, NFL.com](https://www.nfl.com/news/flacco-must-find-playoff-success-to-be-considered-franchise-qb-09000d5d82050e68)
11. [Top clutch quarterbacks in playoff history](https://www.nfl.com/news/top-clutch-quarterbacks-in-playoff-history-0ap3000000781681)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Other team and ball sports › Rugby and other football codes › American football players, coaches, and executives › Quarterbacks › 2010s quarterbacks*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 20, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license