With Bengals franchise quarterback Joe Burrow expected to return from injured reserve in Week 13, Joe Flacco‘s short run as the team’s starter is likely over. As a soon-to-be free agent, Flacco’s time with Cincinnati may be running out.
Although Flacco will turn 41 years old in January, it doesn’t appear he’s eyeing retirement. On the contrary, the former Super Bowl MVP believes he’s capable of serving as a starter in 2026, according to Ben Baby of ESPN.
Flacco began this season as a stopgap Browns starter in front of rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders. After a 1-3 start, they benched Flacco in favor of Gabriel. Six days later, Cleveland sent Flacco to in-state rival Cincinnati in a surprising Oct. 7 trade.
The Bengals took a cheap flier on Flacco, giving up a fifth-round pick in exchange for him and a sixth-rounder. They deemed the move worthwhile after backup Jake Browning flopped filling in for Burrow, who suffered a toe injury in Week 2.
Flacco struggled over four starts this year in Cleveland, where he completed 58.1% of passes, averaged 5.1 yards per attempt, threw more interceptions (six) than touchdowns (two), and posted a ghastly passer rating of 60.3. His production has markedly improved since the trade. Flacco has started six games as a Bengal and connected on 61.6% of throws with 6.5 YPA, 13 TDs against four INTs, and a 91.3 passer rating. He has gone over the 300-yard mark twice (which he didn’t do at all with the Browns), including a jaw-dropping 470 in a Week 9 loss to the Bears.
Discussing his performance as Cincinnati’s starter, Flacco told Baby: “Hopefully it reinforces it in somebody’s mind that I can do it. I do still want to do it. I still feel like I can do it. This obviously does help with the confidence of being able to do it and all that stuff.”
Flacco’s comments came before a 26-20 loss to New England on Sunday. He tossed a costly pick-six and finished a lackluster 19 of 37 for 199 yards and a TD against the Patriots. It was the second straight subpar outing for Flacco, who fared similarly in a 34-12 loss to the Steelers in Week 11.
Although Flacco has been a clear upgrade over Browning, the Bengals have won just one of his six starts. They acquired Flacco with the hope that he’d help keep them in the hunt until Burrow’s return. It didn’t work out, however. Thanks in large part to defensive ineptitude, the Bengals are 3-8 and heading for a third straight season without a playoff berth.
The Bengals will have a chance to rebound next year with a healthy Burrow and a better defense. Meanwhile, if he leaves Cincinnati and continues his career, Flacco could end up with his seventh organization since his 11-year run with the Ravens ended in 2018. That’s assuming he doesn’t rejoin one of his ex-teams. The former first-rounder from Delaware has spent time with the Broncos, Jets, Eagles, Colts, and both Ohio teams since 2019. Flacco may land yet another contract in the offseason, though it remains to be seen if he’ll receive any starting offers.
“I would like an opportunity, but you just never know,” Flacco told Baby.
