Joe Flacco is on track to play a 19th season. The Bengals are bringing him back as Joe Burrow‘s backup, NFL insider Jordan Schultz reports.
The 41-year-old passer will see a raise on his 2026 deal, according to ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler, who reports this contract will carry $6MM in base value. It can max out at $9MM. This $6MM base represents Flacco’s most lucrative contract since his 2016 Ravens extension. He has not played for more than $4.5MM since the Broncos ditched that deal in 2020.
Unsurprisingly, this latest agreement is a one-year pact. It also rounds out one of the most experienced quarterback rooms in NFL history. Well, experienced in terms of NFL years — not necessarily game reps. While Burrow and Flacco are seasoned starters, Josh Johnson — signed earlier in free agency — is known for his journeyman route. Johnson will turn 40 in May; Flacco turned 41 earlier this year.
Johnson is back on a third tour of duty with the Bengals, but the nomadic arm was reacquired as a placeholder rather than a backup option. The Bengals were not considering Johnson as their primary backup, per The Athletic’s Paul Dehner Jr., who indicates Flacco was always on the radar to stay.
The Browns brought Flacco back on a one-year, $4.25MM contract in 2025 and reinstalled him as their starter. It marked Flacco’s first Week 1 start as a non-injury replacement since his 2019 Broncos one-off, but the Browns demoted the aging passer for Dillon Gabriel after four games. They then sent Flacco to the Bengals in a pick-swap deal in October, and the former Super Bowl MVP started on a few days’ notice. Flacco replaced Jake Browning, who has since signed with the Buccaneers in free agency.
Although Flacco lingered in free agency for most of the 2023 season, his stunning reemergence under Kevin Stefanski — which brought Comeback Player of the Year acclaim — effectively launched the former first-round pick’s third NFL act. Flacco’s run as a full-time starter came to an end during an injury-marred Broncos season, and he settled onto the backup level with the Jets and Eagles over the next three seasons. Flacco then replaced Deshaun Watson in an emergency circumstance and guided a battered Browns offense to the playoffs. This led to a Colts contract at 39 and then another Browns deal at 40. The Bengals liked what they saw from their latest Burrow injury fill-in and had wanted him back.
Cincinnati is understandably placing a higher value than usual on its backup QB spot. In place as Burrow’s top backup entering the past three seasons, Browning struggled when another injury befell the superstar starter. Flacco (until Aaron Rodgers returns, that is) is the NFL’s oldest active starting quarterback and went 1-5 as a Cincy starter last season. But this included much better work than Browning was providing. And Flacco played well on the whole, throwing 13 touchdown passes compared to four interceptions. He was hoping for a potential starting opportunity, but other teams have moved on with other bridge options.
The former Ravens mainstay was one of many QB options the Bengals considered amid a frantic search following Browning’s woeful stretch. The Bengals looked into Russell Wilson, Derek Carr, Sam Howell, Davis Mills, Drew Lock, Jimmy Garoppolo and others while hoping to keep their season from spiraling. Although Cincinnati did end up falling out of playoff contention, the team saw Flacco post two 300-plus-yard games. The first, a 342-yard performance, helped the Bengals to a win over the Steelers; the second, a 470-yard, four-TD outing, came in a shootout loss to the Bears.
Flacco averaged just 5.1 yards per attempt with the Browns last season; being paired with Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins certainly helped his stock, and he will parlay a partial season in Cincinnati into yet another contract. Flacco fitting in will allow him to move to the doorstep of a two-decade career.
The former 11-year Ravens starter, who saw action for two college programs (Pittsburgh, Delaware), has played for seven NFL teams. He will be entrusted to back up Burrow again. Burrow has continually battled injuries as a pro.
While Burrow submitted an MVP-caliber 2024 season, the outspoken starter — whom the Bengals have staunchly refused to entertain trading — has missed extensive time due to injury in 2020, 2023 and 2025. Flacco and Johnson — the NFL’s undisputed travel kingpin — round out one of the oldest position groups in American sports history, even as Burrow is just 29. After stepping in on short notice last season, Flacco earned some trust and will be expected to replace Burrow once again if another injury intervenes.
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