Joe Flacco has enjoyed one of the more eventful late-prime periods for a non-star-level quarterback in NFL history. Despite going six years between appearances as a non-injury-related Week 1 starter and then being removed from that role four games into the season, The 40-year-old passer has now been traded three times will be asked to save a Bengals season careening off course.
Moreover, the Bengals -- after trading a 2026 fifth-round pick for Flacco and a sixth -- are entrusting a key stretch on their timeline to a player a largely dysfunctional organization just benched. The Browns backup-turned-Bengals starter will be asked to keep hopes alive while Joe Burrow rehabs. Cincinnati faces the ignominious reality of missing three straight playoff brackets during Burrow's late 20s.
As Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson have brought their respective franchises near-automatic postseason entry codes this decade, the Burrow era -- due to injuries and roster management -- is nearing a 2-for-6 start in terms of postseason qualification. That is, if Flacco cannot turn his own season around.
This promises to be one of the more interesting in-season QB acquisitions in many years, as the NFL's second-oldest active QB will go from being demoted by a team eyeing the 2026 draft class at the position to a division rival carrying historically elite weaponry. Jake Browning was squandering the receiver arsenal the Bengals deviated from their previous plan to pay. Plenty of subplots are present as Flacco begins a second in-season Ohio rescue effort.
“The 40-year-old Passer” sounds like a future Disney Plus direct-to-digital feature length film.
It’s a shame Burt Reynolds (The Longest Yard) isn’t alive to play the lead role 🙂
This isn’t the Flacco who won a Super Bowl Bengals….there’s a reason Andrew Berry traded him away so willingly…..
Definitely true, but the weapons in Cincinnati can cover up a lot of the weakness if he can stay upright. Cleveland doesn’t have god level wideouts.
Here’s a novel idea Bengals, rather than paying top dollar for WR’s; pay top dollar for linemen.
The Bengals should have paid Anthony Munoz for his DNA and started cloning offensive linemen.
The Bengals signed the most expensive lineman in FA 2 years ago. Spent a 1st round draft pick on a RT and drafted a 3rd round guard plus signed 2 FA guards this year and extended their center. I would say that the Bengals have spent money and draft capital on the OL. They even changed coaches. Burrow is responsible for some of this
You also have to be able to pick and draft the right players. And coach them. You spend all that money and draft capital and still get lame results, the problems are internal. And we’re not even talking about their defense which has deteriorated as well.
Wasn’t the argument. People were saying they won’t fix the line. They’ve spent the money. Flacco got sacked once today. He throws the ball away. Burrow doesn’t. I don’t know if he’s worried about his stats or what. A sack goes against the line. An inconpletion goes against the quarterback
Some QB’s can stick around in NFL like some LHP’s in MLB because there is always a need for them even, if they are no longer a superstar or great player.