Before Joe Flacco was the Browns QB, he was Baltimore's 'Joe Cool'

When Baltimore hosts the Cleveland Browns in Week 2 (1 p.m. ET, CBS), the Ravens will celebrate their 30th season with a very familiar face and an important part of the franchise's history on the opposing sideline.

Quarterback Joe Flacco, who was drafted No. 18 by the Ravens in 2008, spent the first 11 years of his career with the team and helped lead the franchise to its second championship (Super Bowl XLVII), will play his first game at M&T Bank Stadium since being traded after the 2018 season -- a move that paved the way for the current Lamar Jackson era.

"It'll be interesting to go back," Flacco told ESPN in an exclusive interview. "Honestly, the whole AFC North is a pretty cool place to play, but Baltimore is a really cool place to play. Special fans, they love football. ... It should be a lot of fun, I'm sure."

Flacco, 40, remains the Ravens' all-time leader in passing yards (38,245) and passing touchdowns (212). Only five players remain from Flacco's final season in Baltimore -- Jackson, tight end Mark Andrews, offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley, fullback Patrick Ricard and cornerback Marlon Humphrey -- but as the Ravens hold their anniversary celebration, coincidentally against the city which lost its team to Baltimore, Flacco is expected to reunite with coach John Harbaugh and a bevy of teammates and coaches he competed alongside during his time with the Ravens.

"He's iconic, I think, in Baltimore football history," Harbaugh said.

Flacco's father, Steve, told ESPN that they're expecting to have at least 20 to 30 family members and friends at Sunday's game. And though the Flaccos might be cheering for the quarterback to get the Browns their first victory of the 2025 season, there's an intriguing history behind the 18-year veteran's time in the "Charm City."

Former teammates, coaches and those close to Flacco let ESPN in on the big-armed, composed passer who endeared himself to become Baltimore's "Joe Cool."

The workout before he was drafted

The Ravens were led exclusively by their defense in the first decade-plus of their existence in the NFL. The 2000 defense still stands as one of the best in league history, and those units frequently carried a cast of middling quarterbacks and shoddy offenses.

After floundering to a 5-11 record in 2007, the Ravens had a top-10 pick and a massive need at quarterback. Flacco, who started his college career at Pittsburgh before transferring to Delaware, was one of the top quarterback prospects in the 2008 draft.

Scouts advised offensive coordinator Cam Cameron and others in the Ravens organization to see Flacco throw in person. Delaware was renovating its facilities, including its practice field.

"So we find a field. It's got no lines, no nothing," Cameron said. "You would swear we were just in open pasture."

The Ravens brought a few receivers, "college guys off the street. ... just bodies. We needed somebody for Joe to throw to."

Flacco had picked out his favorite worn-out footballs for the workout. The Ravens had other ideas. Cameron pulled out a bag of new balls and asked Flacco if he would throw them instead.

Cameron took Flacco through a 90-minute workout -- in the elements.

"It was windy, it was cold, which I liked," Cameron said. "Being with the Ravens, you wanted to see how weatherproof they are."

Joe Douglas, then a northeast area scout, as well as now-general manager Eric DeCosta, who was director of college scouting at the time, were present.

"Joe didn't blink," said K.C. Keeler, Flacco's coach at Delaware. "They asked him to stay flat-footed on the goal line, and he threw it 80 yards in the air. The only workout they could remember that was even close, in terms of arm strength, was Ben Roethlisberger's. [Flacco] impressed them that day with just his pure arm strength and accuracy."

Some people in the organization had Flacco rated above Matt Ryan, whom the Atlanta Falcons made the first quarterback taken in that draft with the No. 3 pick.

"Our scouts are just sitting there with their jaws hanging out," Cameron said. "I said, 'Guys, if we're smart, we'll walk out of here and nobody say a word of what you just saw.' So, we acted like it was no big deal. Not one person ever leaked out what happened in that workout. To see a guy not miss a throw in 90 minutes on a field with no lines and with receivers he'd never thrown to was pretty special."

The Ravens originally held the No. 8 pick but traded back with the Jacksonville Jaguars to No. 26 for a package of picks.

"We were up at [26]," Cameron said, "and all of a sudden [then-GM Ozzie Newsome] says, 'We're not going to let this one slip through.' Everybody was thrilled."

The Ravens used the 26th pick and a third- and sixth-rounder to move up to No. 18 and nab their franchise quarterback.

"Everyone knew 'we had a guy'"

On a defensive-led team filled with future Pro Football Hall of Famers at every level, Flacco's calm demeanor served as a contrast to the defense's strong personalities.

Flacco's big arm -- "he could throw the ball through a hurricane," wide receiver Derrick Mason said -- quickly caught the attention of his teammates.

"I was so focused on just making sure I didn't f--- things up," Flacco said of his first season in Baltimore. "I went to the right spot with the ball, or I knew the play, I knew the cadence. As a rookie, you're thinking about so many different things. I mean, yeah, you're aware that Ray Lewis and Ed Reed are over there, and when you walk into the locker room, your eyes gravitate towards them. You're a fan. But at the same time, you knew going into a locker room with those kinds of personalities that you were going to have to stand tough."

Lewis and Reed, arguably two of the best in NFL history at their respective positions at linebacker and safety, respectfully, tested the young passer in practice. Flacco, though, was up for the challenge.

"Everybody was there the day that Ed Reed baited Joe on a post route," Cameron said. "Ed could do that like none other. He would bait you, leave somebody open just enough that he knew the quarterback would throw it, then he'd go over and intercept it. He tried that with Joe, and Joe kept throwing it right past him, and he couldn't get him. And Ed came over to me and he says, 'You got one there, Coach.' And then Ray followed up and said the same thing.

"He threw some balls by Ray in practice right away, and once Ray and Ed sign off on a guy, the whole team quit worrying about Joe Flacco as a rookie. Everybody started focusing on their own job. And that is huge. If you watch how it's playing out with some of these young quarterbacks these days, once the vets sign off on a young quarterback, everybody quits worrying about him. They worry about their own job. ... I'm telling you, Joe came in and just put on a show right off the bat. He still had a lot to learn but not as much as everybody thought. Everybody knew we had a guy."

Flacco's NFL debut

Though the vets had co-signed Flacco, he wasn't supposed to start his career as the Ravens' starting QB. But Kyle Boller suffered a torn labrum in his shoulder in the second preseason game, and Troy Smith was sidelined because of tonsillitis, forcing Flacco to lead Baltimore in its season opener Sept. 7, 2008, against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Flacco finished with a pedestrian stat line -- 15 of 29, 129 yards, no passing touchdowns or interceptions -- but it was his 38-yard, galloping touchdown run along the Bengals' sideline, still the longest of his career, that was the difference in a 17-10 win.

And the score was born from a busted play.

"It was a reverse. It was one of two reverses that we scored on, and I was supposed to hand it to Le'Ron McClain and he was supposed to hand it to the receiver," Flacco said. "I think Le'Ron kind of forgot that was happening. I could have just handed it to the receiver, but I kind of just took it around the side myself. I was going to just go run, take the first down and get out of bounds. And I kind of got to that point, was like, 'All right, I might as well keep going.' And, you know, the rest is history."

Flacco helped lead the Ravens to the AFC Championship Game, where they fell short of reaching the Super Bowl in a 23-14 road loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The making of 'Joe Cool'

In the physical and ultra-competitive AFC North, Flacco was in plenty of close divisional matchups, especially against the bitter rival Steelers. Flacco came out on the wrong end of his first six head-to-head matchups against Roethlisberger before beating the Steelers 35-7 in the 2011 season opener at home.

But Flacco still had to do it at Heinz Field, a place where he and the Ravens had experienced tough losses and heartbreak.

That changed on Nov. 6, 2011. Down four points with 2:24 remaining, Flacco drove the Ravens 92 yards down the field -- with Styx's "Renegade" lyrics blasting and tens of thousands of Pittsburgh fans waiving their Terrible Towels -- and threw a 26-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Torrey Smith to win 23-20 and complete the second sweep of the Steelers in team history.

"The thing I loved about him most," Smith said, "was whenever you stepped in the huddle with him, you always felt like you had a chance to win the game regardless of what the situation was. That's really just because of his demeanor. He's always laid back. He doesn't get flustered, and he's ice cold when it comes to clutch situations."

After Smith had a big drop earlier in the game, Flacco didn't hesitate to come right back to Smith in the biggest moment.

"Him coming back to me, that was huge for myself, my confidence and belief in the team," Smith said, "and obviously is one of the big moments in that great rivalry. He's never fazed. Being around him helped me because, his demeanor, he was never really flustered. Even if he made a mistake, he's just all on to the next thing. ...He's as cool as anybody you'll ever see, ever, step in that huddle when it comes time to go get it done."

Hall of Famer Joe Montana is the NFL's original "Joe Cool," but Flacco earned the nickname for his deft calm in high-pressure moments. And it was that poise that allowed Flacco to elevate his postseason play. His seven road playoff wins are tied with QB Tom Brady for the most in NFL history.

In the 2012 playoffs, Flacco threw 11 touchdowns and no interceptions as he knocked off Brady's New England Patriots and Peyton Manning's Denver Broncos en route to capturing the franchise's second championship in Super Bowl XLVII. The Mile High Miracle -- Flacco's 70-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Jacoby Jones to send the divisional round game against Denver to overtime -- remains one of the most memorable clutch plays in Ravens history. Flacco was named Super Bowl MVP for his performance in the 34-31 victory over the San Francisco 49ers. Playing on the final year of his rookie contract, Flacco parlayed the postseason run into a six-year, $120 million contract, which at the time was the most lucrative in NFL history.

Though many might have commemorated the deal with a large purchase or celebration, Flacco took a different route.

"He comes down to sign his contract," said Kevin Byrne, the franchise's longtime head of public relations who moved from Cleveland to Baltimore with the franchise. "He then turns around and drives back home up [Interstate-95], he stops at McDonald's to get a 10-piece McNugget. He celebrates the largest contract ever with McDonald's McNuggets."

The end of an era

Baltimore failed to reach the postseason in four of the next five seasons after the Super Bowl victory, and Flacco struggled with on-field performance and injuries.

On April 26, 2018, with 33-year-old Flacco entering his 11th season with the team, Newsome set up the franchise for the future in his final draft as GM. After maneuvering through the first night of the draft, Newsome traded back into the first round to select Jackson with the 32nd pick.

Former Ravens tight end Dennis Pitta, who was Flacco's go-to receiver during their time as teammates, had retired and was watching the 2018 draft with Flacco and their families.

"The whole time I'm joking with Joe, like, 'Man, I can't wait until they draft a quarterback. We're ribbing him. He's laughing about it,'" Pitta recalled.

When the Ravens took Hayden Hurst with the 25th pick, "We joke, 'You're lucky, Joe. Then, all of a sudden, with the 32nd pick, the Eagles make a trade and the Ravens trade back into the first round. We all look at each other, like, 'Uh-oh,' we know what's about to happen. And they draft Lamar and we kind of look at each other, and we all start dying laughing -- Joe included. ...

"He doesn't take anything too seriously. When a team drafts a quarterback in the first round, you know the writing is on the wall for the current starter. He laughed about it and we were joking about it, and he was never overly worried about anything."

Flacco was still a competitor, though, and one who wasn't ready to relinquish his starting spot, saying that it wasn't his role to mentor Jackson. Flacco started the first nine games of the season, but the Ravens struggled with a 4-5 record and Flacco injured his hip against the Steelers on Nov. 11, 2018 -- which was his final game at M&T Bank Stadium as Baltimore's starting quarterback.

"I talked to a lot of people, and I wasn't walking very well, but I still wanted to go out there and play, no matter what," Flacco said. "But I saw a handful of people and it was just like, 'Dude, you can't. But you don't know what's going to happen, and it was the right thing to do. Obviously, you have a young kid behind you and you don't know what the thought process is and you don't want to give that up. I'm a goddamn starting quarterback. You don't give that s--- up easily, you know what I mean? There's 32 of these in the NFL, in the world, so it means a lot."

Jackson stepped in and helped turn around the Ravens' season, leading them back to the postseason before a disastrous loss to the Chargers at home in the wild-card round. As Jackson struggled in his playoff debut, fans chanted for Flacco to enter the game. Harbaugh, though, elected to keep Jackson in.

"We just weren't able to get the job done, and I didn't think it was right to do anything like that," Flacco said. "And then after that, it was like, 'OK, there's a fresh start for them, fresh start for me.'"

Flacco walked off the field at M&T Bank Stadium wearing Ravens colors for the final time and a month later, Baltimore traded him to the Broncos, ending their most prosperous run with a quarterback in franchise history.

Coming back to Cleveland

Flacco struggled during stints in Denver and with the New York Jets, and his career appeared over before quarterback injuries forced the Browns late in the 2023 season to call Flacco, who was at home with his family.

In a five-game December stretch, Flacco threw for 300 yards in four consecutive games and led Cleveland back to the postseason before falling to the Houston Texans in the wild-card round. Flacco was named NFL Comeback Player of the Year for his late-season heroics.

In Cleveland, Flacco's demeanor and big-armed throws have quickly made him a favorite among fans and in the locker room, from tight end David Njoku to undrafted rookie wideout Gage Larvadain, who affectionately referred to Flacco as "Mr. Joe Flacco" in August.

I caught a touchdown from Mr.Joe Flacco...😅😅 Life is complete https://t.co/wExItahGIp

Former Browns wide receiver Amari Cooper described Flacco's passes as "poetry in motion" and called him a "faith multiplier." Quarterbacks coach Bill Musgrave watched Flacco as a high school pitcher when he was recruiting him to Virginia and said his arm remains "definitely elite."

"To watch Joe throw a baseball there his junior year in high school and you know, touch 92, 94 [mph], and then to see where his football career has gone has just been incredible," Musgrave said. "And he still, of course, is a complete 6-foot-6 flamethrower."

After spending the 2024 season with the Indianapolis Colts, Flacco and the Browns reunited this past offseason with a one-year, $4 million deal. Flacco emerged from the Browns' crowded quarterback room as the starter, and in Week 1, he joined a list of 17 40-year-old quarterbacks, including Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees and Brett Favre, to start a season opener since 1950.

Flacco, who a decade ago said he believed he could play into his 40s, recently called the milestone "special." Flacco has already faced the Ravens -- he lost a Week 1 matchup in 2022 as a member of the Jets -- but a similar sentiment lies in returning to a place he called home and built the greatest moments in his career.

Flacco, though, and those close to him don't expect him to have big emotions, staying true to his "Joe Cool" moniker.

"I don't think it'll be emotional for him," Steve Flacco said. "Every team is different. So, it's not like he's playing against the guys he was on the team with [the] last year. It won't be quite like that. So, I don't think it'll be emotional. I think it'll be cool, though. I think it'll be interesting to be back there. ...

"I do think that he'll appreciate playing this game there. I don't think there's any question about that. He does appreciate the people there. That part of it will be greatly appreciated, believe me."

-- ESPN reporter Jamison Hensley contributed to this story.