For weeks, Bengals head coach Zac Taylor expressed confidence in backup quarterback Jake Browning to keep Cincinnati’s offense afloat with the hopes of a late-season return from Joe Burrow.
But after Browning’s third multi-interception game in four weeks – and the Bengals’ third straight loss – Taylor and the front office finally decided to seek a different signal-caller. They landed on Joe Flacco and reached out to the Browns, who were not expecting the call from their AFC North rivals.
Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said on (via Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic) Tuesday that Cincinnati’s interest in Flacco “took us by surprise,” despite the veteran quarterback’s benching the week prior. Handing the keys to the offense over to rookie Dillon Gabriel could signal to an outsider that Flacco was available, but Cleveland may not have been anticipating that they would trade him within the division (and the state).
In his first press conference as a Bengals, Flacco – who has been traded three times in his career – called the NFL a “crazy business” and said players “have to be ready for anything,” per Dehner.
‘Anything’ seems to include being benched, traded, and inserted into a new starting job in the span of a week. Not to mention, Flacco will play for his third AFC North team on Sunday, joining Ryan Fitzpatrick as the only quarterbacks to play for three of the four teams in a single division, per NFL Network’s John Todd.
I too would be surprised to have someone watch the Browns and say “I want that”.
Yeah, anytime someone pays money to watch the Browns the organization is taken by surprise.
Remember this is the Bengals front office. 2025 tape was probably too expensive and they were working off Colts highlights they found in a discount DVD.
Thinking VHS.
Bengals have a horrible OL…
Best of luck Joe 👍🏼
I think we should pray for him with that line.
Browns have a horrible everything else.
Good on you, Joe Flacco.
Browns Football- disappointing die hard fans since 1995!
Bruce Willis wouldn’t have been a good HC but it would have been fun to watch him running up and down the sidelines yelling “Yippee-ki-yay, mother—ker.”
Andrew Berry in his best Michael Bluth voice: “Him?”