After 11 years in Baltimore and more than six seasons away from the Ravens, Joe Flacco returns to Charm City for the first time in his career on Sunday when the Cleveland Browns come into town.
The Browns starting quarterback admitted on Wednesday he's surprised it didn't happen sooner and is looking forward to the opportunity.
"We were on good terms when I left," Flacco said. "But at the same time, you know, it's natural to feel a certain way when you're going against a team that you're not playing for anymore. I've been a part of other players that do that and you kind of try to act normal, but it is a big deal. You do want to go beat them, and it's a little bit of a difference."
Flacco remains appreciative of the organization and of the many years he spent leading them to success -- highlighted by a win in Super Bowl XLVII in which he won MVP. He called Baltimore on Wednesday a "very special place" where he made "many good memories," and added he won't feel quite as emotionally charged because he has faced the Ravens in the past -- just not in Baltimore.
This time around, he'll occupy the visiting sideline at M&T Bank Stadium while wearing the colors the organization that now exists in Baltimore left behind in Cleveland in 1996.
The context of Flacco's return adds plenty of intrigue. The 2025 season will be the Ravens' 30th in Baltimore, prompting a celebration that will include the return of a handful of Ravens legends: Hall of Famers Jonathan Ogden, Ray Lewis and Ozzie Newsome.
As longtime NFL fans might point out, the last of that legendary trio earned his place in Canton as a tight end for the Browns. Newsome retired from pro football after the 1990 season, joined Cleveland's front office in 1991 and followed them in the move to Baltimore in 1996.
Effectively, Sunday's game is a multilayered reunion with plenty of personal connections: Flacco's first return to Baltimore, and a franchise celebrating its inception ahead of a game against the team that made their existence possible.
Although it was a scheduling coincidence, Browns fans see the obvious connection between their meeting on Sunday and the timing of Baltimore's anniversary celebration. Flacco is aware of it, too.
"Yeah, you know, it's funny because that isn't the first thing that I think about, you know, not being from here, but I can understand how that looks," Flacco said. "And listen, they do these things, and I think you can take it however you want. If you're from Cleveland, you can take it one way, and if you're from Baltimore, you can say it's not a big deal. It's just one of those things.
"Honestly, for me, it kind of makes it more exciting. You know, we get to go in there when they're throwing, you know, when they're having some people back and just more ex-players, more eyes on you. It'll make it more interesting."
If the Week 2 game between division rivals who share more history than the average pairing of competitors is entertaining, it will be considered a win for Cleveland especially after they lost in excruciating fashion in Week 1. The same could be said about the Ravens, who are coming off a colossal collapse on national television in a Week 1 loss to the Buffalo Bills.
The circumstances surrounding the game might be entertaining enough. Flacco hopes the team he's on emerges victorious so he can smile as he exits through the unfamiliar visitor's tunnel.
