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Author: Sam Robinson

Bengals Contacted Several Teams On QBs; Cincinnati Considered Derek Carr

By | at October 12, 2025 9:55 pm

The Bengals went from throwing support behind Jake Browning to frantically seeking an outside upgrade. Joe Flacco became that option, being sent across Ohio early this week in a Day 3 pick-swap exchange.

Prior to landing on Flacco — a development that surprised the Browns — the Bengals looked into many reserve QBs around the league and one who recently wrapped his NFL career. In addition to calling the Eagles on Sam Howell and the Seahawks on Drew Lock, the Bengals contacted the Texans on Davis Mills, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport.

[RELATED: Flacco Hail Mary Comes At Key Point On Bengals’ Timeline]

A long-hesitant franchise regarding the acquisition of players via in-season trades, the Bengals also made a call on Derek Carr. Rapoport indicates the recently retired passer became part of Cincinnati’s search. Had this progressed, the team would have needed to make a deal with the Saints for Carr’s rights. Like they did with Sean Payton when he stepped away in 2022, the Saints hold Carr’s rights after his mid-offseason retirement.

Carr did not enter the offseason assured of retaining his starting job. Kellen Moore took over in New Orleans, leading to rumors about a QB change — even in the event Carr kept playing. Two years remained on his Saints contract. Carr was not open to a pay cut on the four-year, $150MM deal and remained in the Saints’ plans for several weeks between Moore’s arrival and the post-draft retirement decision. As of September, Carr has not slammed the door on returning. But with the Saints needing compensation, that introduced a wrinkle they may have kept the 11-year veteran in retirement.

This certainly would have presented an interesting opportunity for Carr, as the Bengals paid up to retain their high-end Ja’Marr Chase–Tee Higgins duo this offseason. Carr struggled to stay healthy in New Orleans, running into a few injuries. Most notably, a shoulder malady sustained in 2023 plagued him and ultimately led the ex-Raider to retirement. Should health circumstances improve, that could conceivably change the equation. Carr did gauge the trade market this offseason. But Carr is 34, limiting his window. During the summer, a report also indicated the former playoff starter is not likely to return to the league.

The Bengals made calls to teams with three quarterbacks and those with viable practice squad options, Rapoport adds. Mills obviously remains in the Texans‘ plans, having signed a one-year extension that moves his contract through 2026 in September. The Texans also rebuffed trade inquiries on Mills in 2023, keeping he and Case Keenum behind C.J. Stroud that season. A 2021 third-round pick, Mills has played his entire career in Houston. The team replaced him as their primary starter via the Stroud selection but still values him in the QB2 post.

Cincinnati did not inquire about Giants veterans, Kirk Cousins or Ryan Tannehill. In not making Tannehill part of their QB search, the Bengals wanted a player who had been active recently, Rapoport adds. Tannehill has not played since the 2023 season, when the Titans benched him for second-round rookie Will Levis. Tannehill had been connected to the Vikings early this offseason and later came up for the Raiders following Aidan O’Connell‘s injury, but the 37-year-old passer remains out of football.

Flacco, 40, will make a start despite being acquired Tuesday afternoon. The Bengals sent Flacco cutups on his flight from Cleveland, per Rapoport, as he was getting up to speed in Zac Taylor‘s offense by Tuesday night. With the Browns giving Flacco two weeks to prepare before his first start with the team in 2023, today’s shorter-notice Packers matchup presents a daunting assignment. For the foreseeable future, however, the Bengals will have Flacco at the controls.

20 comments Cincinnati Bengals Houston Texans New Orleans Saints Uncategorized

Joe Flacco Hail Mary Comes At Key Point On Bengals’ Timeline

By | at October 11, 2025 10:00 pm

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.

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10 comments Front Office Originals

Jaguars Place TE Brenton Strange On IR

By | at October 10, 2025 1:00 pm

OCTOBER 10: Strange’s quad injury also affected his hip and includes a ligament tear, per FOX Sports’ Jordan Schultz. He will not need surgery, but he is expected to miss at least five weeks. That would sideline Strange until Week 12 or beyond with the hopes of returning late in the season to help the Jaguars make the playoffs for just the second time in seven years.

OCTOBER 7: Following one of their biggest wins of the Trevor Lawrence era, the Jaguars will lose a key pass catcher for a while. They are placing Brenton Strange on IR, ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets.

Strange suffered a quad injury, one NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo expects to keep him out for roughly a month. That would align with an IR-return timeline. The team’s top tight end has been a key part of its 4-1 start, making some contributions during its 31-28 win over Kansas City on Monday night. He caught his lone target for 22 yards before injuring his hip late in the first half.

The Jaguars gave Strange a vote of confidence upon releasing Evan Engram early this offseason. While Engram has battled injuries during an unremarkable start in Denver, Strange has fared well to start the season. Strange has 20 receptions for 204 yards, posting three games with at least 45 yards during the Jags’ surprising start.

As part of a Jaguars pass-catching group that features high-profile wide receivers Brian Thomas and Travis Hunter, Strange leads the team in receptions. He’s tied for second in targets (24) and yards. His 73.8 percent snap share easily paces all Jaguars tight ends. Johnny Mundt (34.5) and Hunter Long (23.4) are next in line, though they’ve combined for just nine catches and 58 yards. Quintin Morris has almost exclusively played on special teams.

The Jaguars will now have to go at least four games without their No. 1 tight end. With the Jaguars’ bye coming in Week 8, Strange won’t be eligible to return until a Week 11 meeting with the Chargers on Nov. 16. For now, they’ll go forward with Mundt, Long, and Morris as their options at the position.

Connor Byrne contributed to this post.

2 comments Jacksonville Jaguars Transactions

Shedeur Sanders Uncertain To Move Into Browns’ QB2 Role; Latest On Deshaun Watson

By | at October 8, 2025 9:16 pm

Shedeur Sanders‘ eventful 2025 included early buzz about being a top-five pick, before a freefall to Round 5 capped a regrettable pre-draft process. The rookie went from Cleveland’s QB4 during training camp to preseason starter, due to other passers’ injuries, and then saw the team’s Kenny Pickett trade shake up the depth chart.

The Browns installed Sanders as their No. 3 option, and that did not change after they demoted Joe Flacco to start Dillon Gabriel. Flacco worked as Cleveland’s backup in Week 5, with Sanders stuck at QB3. Even though Flacco has since followed Pickett out the door via trade, Kevin Stefanski stopped short of confirming Sanders would be the team’s backup moving forward.

Bailey Zappe resides on the Browns’ practice squad. Stefanski said (via the Lorain Morning Journal’s Jeff Schudel) he was not ready to name a backup as of Wednesday, calling into question Sanders’ role once again. Although Sanders is believed to have shown improvement and received additional work post-practice, maturity concerns have presented themselves.

Multiple speeding violations occurred in the offseason, and Sanders took a strange step when interviewed following the news of Gabriel’s promotion last week. As could be expected, the Colorado alum pantomiming answers to media questions went over oddly. While Sanders held a discussion with Browns officials (per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport) about his decision to conduct a silent press conference of sorts, the Browns not turning to him as their unquestioned backup post-Flacco does not exactly paint a glowing picture of the fifth-rounder’s organizational standing.

Jimmy Haslam said in August the Browns needed to see both Gabriel and Sanders play before determining their 2026 draft path. Sanders’ scout-team work in practice has led to a role as the team’s emergency QB3, meaning (thanks to the Brock Purdy rule) he could only play if the team’s first two passers went down. Zappe rejoined the Browns after the Chiefs cut him in training camp and has resided on the team’s practice squad since. The Browns could elevate Zappe for Week 6 without making a corresponding roster move.

If Cleveland elevates Zappe over Sanders, more attention will be paid to the latter’s development (or lack thereof). It would lend more weight to the narrative ownership wanted Sanders while Stefanski and Andrew Berry did not. Haslam and Berry denied such an order took place, of course, though the Browns circling back to Sanders after choosing Gabriel in Round 3 remains an unusual route. A value-based play led Sanders to Ohio. The Browns want Sanders to be ready if/when he is called upon. A former Patriots draftee, Zappe has made nine NFL starts — including one with the Browns last season — and would make sense as a stopgap backup while Sanders continues to acclimate.

The Browns, of course, technically have four quarterbacks rostered. Deshaun Watson remains on the team’s reserve/PUP list. It has long been viewed as unlikely the Browns will deploy Watson this season, and Rapoport adds nothing is believed to have changed on that front.

Watson is recovering a second Achilles tear. The high-priced quarterback submitted woeful work last season, with Stefanski repeatedly asked to justify why he had not benched him. Because of the five-year, fully guaranteed $230MM extension Watson signed in 2022 (and the numerous restructures the team has made for cap purposes), he remains on Cleveland’s roster.

Stefanski declined to address the prospect of Watson playing this season, indicating he is “so focused on this week.” Watson resumed throwing in mid-May but spent camp on the active/PUP list before being transferred to the reserve/PUP list in late August. Over the summer, some in the embattled QB’s camp were optimistic he would be cleared in late October or early November, per Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer. But nothing has come to pass yet.

Considering Haslam admitted the trade was a mistake, it would surprise if Watson played for the Browns again. But with Pickett and Flacco gone, the QB technically has fewer obstacles in his path. Though, the Browns’ need to evaluate Gabriel and Sanders — and the team’s natural interest in the 2026 QB class — would interfere with a Watson return.

“He’s doing an excellent job with his rehab,” Stefanski said, via Pro Football Talk’s Myles Simmons. “We haven’t seen him as part of the throwing process with the team and those types of things. But he’s working very hard. He’s doing a great job in the meeting room.”

25 comments Cleveland Browns

Traded Draft Picks For 2026

By | at October 8, 2025 8:05 pm

Many months remain before teams know where they are picking in the 2026 draft, but many clubs have made moves to acquire 2026 draft capital. Headlined by the Browns, Rams and Cowboys’ efforts, here are the 2026 picks to have changed hands thus far. When more deals involving picks are made (or conditions on moves already completed become known), that information will be added.

Round 1

Round 2

Round 3

Round 4

Round 5

Round 6

Round 7

5 comments 2026 NFL Draft Atlanta Falcons Baltimore Ravens Buffalo Bills Chicago Bears Cleveland Browns Dallas Cowboys Denver Broncos Detroit Lions Green Bay Packers Houston Texans Jacksonville Jaguars Kansas City Chiefs Los Angeles Chargers Los Angeles Rams Miami Dolphins Minnesota Vikings New England Patriots New Orleans Saints New York Giants New York Jets PFR Originals Philadelphia Eagles Pittsburgh Steelers San Francisco 49ers Seattle Seahawks Tennessee Titans Washington Commanders

Vance Joseph Moving Back Onto HC Radar

By | at October 8, 2025 4:57 pm

After the Broncos took significant steps forward defensively last season, the Jets and Raiders interviewed Vance Joseph for their respective head coaching posts. Denver’s third-year defensive coordinator should expect more interview slips in 2026.

The Broncos’ defense helped buy their offense time to mount a comeback Sunday in Philadelphia, and the team pulled off a 21-17 upset win. Joseph helmed Patrick Surtain to a Defensive Player of the Year showing last season, and recently extended edge rusher Nik Bonitto has an NFL-most seven sacks through five games. Joseph’s name is coming up again regarding head coaching interest, per ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano.

[RELATED: Recent Broncos Extensions Highlight Post-Russell Wilson Recovery]

Although Joseph interviewed for both the New York and Las Vegas gigs, he did not appear near the lead for either job. Joseph has been back on the DC level for the past seven seasons, having moved from his Broncos HC stint (2017-18) to Cardinals DC and a return to Denver as the AFC West club’s defensive boss. Sporadic success has come for Joseph, who has one of the league’s better units to work with early in Year 3 back in Colorado.

The rare coach who agreed to return as a coordinator for a team he once led as head coach, Joseph gone through a few HC interviews since his January 2019 Broncos ouster. He met about the Dolphins’ job in 2022, and the Cardinals interviewed him about succeeding ex-boss Kliff Kingsbury in 2023. Hired over Kyle Shanahan in 2017, Joseph went 11-21 as Broncos HC. That stint has hurt his chances of seeing a second opportunity.

To be fair, the Broncos did not outfit Joseph with much at quarterback during those seasons. As Paxton Lynch became one of this era’s biggest busts, Joseph had Trevor Siemian as his primary starter in 2017. The Broncos then gave Case Keenum by far his most lucrative contract (two years, $36MM) in 2018 but moved on from the journeyman after one season. Joseph’s second Broncos team also stood 6-6 before injuries to Pro Bowlers Chris Harris and Emmanuel Sanders helped key a four-game skid to close that season, leading to the team’s Vic Fangio hire. Keenum and Siemian moved toward the backup tier fairly soon after their Broncos tenures.

Fangio appeared to be higher on Sean Payton‘s DC wish list in 2023, but the current Eagles DC indicated it was too soon for him to return to Denver (the team had fired him in January 2022). Joseph, 53, saw his best two Cardinals defenses finish just outside the top 10 in scoring. The Broncos ranked third last season and sit second entering their Week 6 London matchup with the Jets. This momentum continuing should generate momentum for Joseph, as he is now seven years removed from his first HC opportunity.

18 comments Denver Broncos

Titans Move WR Treylon Burks Off IR List

By | at October 8, 2025 4:34 pm

OCTOBER 8: As expected, Burks cleared waivers Wednesday, Garafolo tweets. Several weeks after initially being informed he would be waived, the former first-round pick is a free agent.

OCTOBER 7: Although Treylon Burks is trending upward in terms of health, he will not factor into the Titans’ plans. Tennessee is cutting the veteran wide receiver from its IR list, NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo reports.

This will be an injury settlement-generated divorce, but with Burks receiving medical clearance (after a 2024 ACL tear), it would surprise if he lingered in free agency for too long. A second chance appears likely for the former first-round pick. Burks will need to clear waivers, as a non-vested veteran, but his resume and first-round contract should ensure he does so.

Tennessee waived Burks well before the August roster-setting deadline, and he reverted to IR. That made him unable to return to the team this season on his current contract. Although teams occasionally circle back to players placed on season-ending IR following injury settlements, that is highly unlikely here. Burks was a Jon Robinson-era draftee, chosen after the draft-night A.J. Brown trade, who did not live up to expectations. With the Titans two GMs removed from Robinson, Burks will be leaving Nashville soon.

The Titans fired Robinson months after his Burks pick, axed Mike Vrabel barely a year later and then canned Ran Carthon in January. Chad Brinker, Carthon’s former lieutenant, is now president of football ops; Brinker hired Mike Borgonzi as GM. Brinker was not with the Titans when they drafted Burks.

Burks, who has just a 53/699/1 line across three seasons, has battled injuries in multiple years. He played in five games last season, catching just four passes for a 3-14 Titans team. He caught Robinson and Co.’s attention with two quality seasons at Arkansas. Burks totaled 66 receptions for 1,104 yards and 11 touchdowns in his final Razorbacks season (2021) and was viewed, perhaps unfairly, as a big-bodied Brown replacement. Obviously, those hopes came nowhere close to transpiring.

The Titans have overhauled their WR room otherwise, adding veterans DeAndre Hopkins and Calvin Ridley since the Burks pick. The team traded Hopkins last year, and Ridley’s guarantees wrap after this season. The team has Tyler Lockett, Van Jefferson and fourth-round rookies Elic Ayomanor and Dike Chimere as other options.

3 comments Tennessee Titans Transactions

NFC East Notes: Cowboys, Lawrence, Eagles

By | at October 8, 2025 4:24 pm

Jerry Jones is optimistic the Cowboys will have most of their injured players back in the next couple of weeks. The Cowboys are without starters CeeDee Lamb and Tyler Booker on offense, but neither is on IR. That duo will be set to return soon, while cornerback Caelen Carson is in the IR-return window. Rookie running back Phil Mafah will also be an option to come off IR. Jones expressed more hesitancy during a 105.3 The Fan appearance (via The Athletic’s Jon Machota) regarding DeMarvion Overshown and Cooper Beebe. The longtime owner/GM said he does not expect either to return until after the Cowboys’ Week 10 bye. Though, Jones did inject some optimism here by mentioning he does not expect the linebacker or center to miss much (if any) time beyond that point.

Overshown is recovering from a severe knee injury, which resulted in ACL, MCL and PCL tears. A September report pointed to October as a possible early return window; Jones’ latest offering pours cold water on that. Overshown, who missed his entire 2023 rookie season due to an ACL tear, looks likelier to come back at some point in November. Beebe has missed the past three Cowboys contests with a lateral ankle sprain and fractured foot. A return shortly after Dallas’ Week 10 bye would be in line with the initial recovery timetable provided.

Here is the latest from the NFC East:

  • The Cowboys benched Kaiir Elam in Week 5, doing so after he started the team’s first four games. DaRon Bland had already returned in time for Week 4, complementing Trevon Diggs after the duo had barely played together since Diggs’ September 2023 ACL tear. Elam still played 35 defensive snaps in a rotational role during a blowout win over the Jets, but via Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Reddy Steward lined up in the slot alongside Diggs and Bland. Elam has worked as an outside corner but has not shown much improvement from his Bills days. The Cowboys did not pick up the 2022 first-rounder’s fifth-year option in May.
  • Dexter Lawrence has seen some less accomplished defensive tackles pass him over since he signed his Giants extension (four years, $90MM) in May 2023. The Giants gave him an incentive package in July, and The Athletic’s Dan Duggan details those markers. Lawrence can earn $1.5MM in playing time-based incentives, with $500K escalators in place for 51%, 60% and 70% of the Giants’ defensive snaps this season. An additional $1.5MM in performance incentives are present, with those benchmarks including separate $500K bumps for five-, six- and seven-sack seasons. With the same three-tiered setup in place for the performance marks, Lawrence must become a first- or second-team All-Pro — and see the Giants improve on either total yardage, yards per carry or yards per pass from 2024 — to cash in on any of the $500K levels.
  • The Commanders benched Brandon Coleman last month, turning to fourth-year option Chris Paul at left guard. This was part of a multi-guard changeover, with Andrew Wylie replacing ex-Chiefs teammate Nick Allegretti at RG (while Sam Cosmi finishes his ACL rehab). Coleman’s health contributed to the benching, per Kliff Kingsbury, who said (via NBC4Sports’ JP Finlay) nagging injuries partially contributed to the demotion. Coleman, who started 12 games as a rookie, has not played since Week 2.
  • Landon Dickerson made it back from preseason meniscus surgery to play in Week 1, but he will be sidelined for the Eagles‘ Thursday-night matchup against the Giants. Dickerson sustained an ankle injury against the Broncos and has been ruled out for Week 6, with the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane indicating a two-game absence is likely in play for the Pro Bowl guard. Brett Toth replaced Dickerson at LG. Elsewhere on the Eagle injury front, long snapper Charley Hughlett underwent successful core muscle surgery, per his agent. Placed on IR last week, Hughlett is expected to miss multiple months.
2 comments Dallas Cowboys New York Giants Philadelphia Eagles Washington Commanders

Bengals Acquire Joe Flacco From Browns

By | at October 7, 2025 10:15 pm

The Bengals have indeed changed their tune on a quarterback trade. They will make an intra-AFC North swap, with NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero reporting the team is set to acquire Joe Flacco from the Browns. The deal is now official pending a physical.

Cleveland will acquire a fifth-round pick from Cincinnati, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, who adds this pick-swap exchange will involve a sixth going back to the Bengals. The sixth going to Cincy is originally a Detroit selection from the November 2024 Za’Darius Smith trade. The picks are in the 2026 draft, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson.

After Zac Taylor indicated Jake Browning‘s starting job was in jeopardy, the Bengals will acquire a QB — just not one previously mentioned could be in play. As should be expected, the Bengals (per Schefter) want Flacco to be ready for their Week 6 game against the Packers.

[RELATED: Flacco Did Not Request Trade From Browns]

Rather than a bigger swing for Russell Wilson or Kirk Cousins, the Bengals — already rostering a $55MM-per-year contract via the September 2023 Joe Burrow extension — will take on Flacco’s one-year, $4.25MM deal. Only $1.26MM of that is tied up in base salary, meaning the Bengals will only be on the hook for around $1MM in additional salary. The Browns will take on $999K in 2025 dead money and, due to void years on Flacco’s deal, $1.4MM in 2026, per Spotrac.

This marks the third time Flacco has been traded. The Broncos obtained the former Super Bowl MVP from the Ravens in 2019, and the Jets reacquired him from the Eagles in 2021. No calls went to the Giants on Wilson or Jameis Winston, per The Athletic’s Dianna Russini. As of Sunday morning, no calls were believed to have gone out. A rough Browning showing against the Lions looks to have changed the team’s stance. While New York retains its Wilson-Winston-Jaxson Dart quarterback room, Cleveland has dealt into its previous four-man competition once again.

This will be Flacco’s seventh NFL destination, and he is now a Steelers stop from completing the AFC North cycle. The Browns benched the 40-year-old passer ahead of their Week 5 London trip, going with Dillon Gabriel. Cleveland’s QB depth chart — which once housed both Flacco and Kenny Pickett — has changed significantly over the past several weeks. Cleveland sent Pickett to Las Vegas just before the season. This marks the team’s third QB trade (for a veteran), as it also acquired Pickett from Philadelphia in March, this year.

Receiving poor play from Browning — after he had proved surprisingly effective in 2023 — the Bengals had been calling teams on QBs for the past 48 hours, Rapoport adds. This is just the third in-season player acquisition via trade since 1973 for the Bengals, who obtained offensive lineman B.J. Finney in 2020 and running back Khalil Herbert last season. It is a last-ditch move aimed at salvaging a season that has skidded well off track following Burrow’s toe injury.

This marks the first time the Bengals have obtained a player from a division rival in a trade since they landed Hall of Fame wide receiver Charlie Joiner and linebacker Ron Pritchard for running backs Paul Robinson and Fred Willis from the then-AFC Central rival Oilers, SI.com’s Jay Morrison notes. This marks just the third time this century division rivals have swapped veteran QBs. Although this has happened before the 21st century, the 2002 Drew Bledsoe and 2010 Donovan McNabb swaps (h/t ESPN’s Evan Kaplan) mark the only such instances since 2000.

This move also comes eight years after the Bengals and Browns nearly made a trade involving Cincinnati backup QB A.J. McCarron. The Browns had been close to acquiring McCarron, but the deal was not finalized in time. The teams will link up on this Flacco swap nearly a month before this year’s trade deadline.

The Browns and Bengals faced off in Week 1, with Flacco facing Burrow. By the sides’ Week 18 rematch, Cincy hopes to have Burrow back at the controls. After losing three straight blowouts, the Bengals looked closer to eventually determining Burrow would need to be shelved for the season’s remainder. Now, they will hope Flacco can elevate their offense in hopes of revitalizing contention hopes in what could be Trey Hendrickson‘s final season in Cincinnati.

In Week 1, the Bengals edged a Flacco-quarterbacked Browns team 17-16. Cleveland doubled up Cincinnati in first downs (22-11), and Flacco completed 31 of 45 passes for 290 yards. He threw a touchdown pass and two interceptions, but both picks came on drops by Browns receivers. Flacco, though, has been unable to curb his INT trend, leading to the Gabriel promotion. The 18th-year veteran threw four more INTs from Weeks 2-4, completing just 58.1% of his passes at an anemic 5.1 yards per attempt. Flacco’s weaponry situation will improve significantly, however, following this trade.

Although Flacco is not exactly the most stable option, his 2023 Cleveland cameo shows the upgrade Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins could see. The Browns added Flacco on a practice squad deal that year, giving him five starts following Deshaun Watson‘s season-ending injury. Flacco led a team missing Nick Chubb and both starting tackles to the playoffs, going 4-1 as a starter and winning Comeback Player of the Year acclaim.

The Browns flamed out in the wild-card round and did not make Flacco an offer to stay, making a final bid to build around Watson in 2024. Flacco ended up in Indianapolis as Anthony Richardson insurance, but after the Colts signed Daniel Jones this offseason, he returned to Cleveland as the elder statesman in an otherwise young QB room.

Making 195 career starts, the former 11-year Ravens QB1 prevailed in the Browns’ four-man quarterback competition this summer. It did not turn out to be very close, as a Pickett hamstring injury removed him from the running. Pickett is now backing up Geno Smith in Las Vegas. With the Browns undoubtedly eyeing a 2026 draft move for a longer-term replacement, Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders‘ presences notwithstanding, the team being unconcerned with dealing a passer to help a division rival makes sense. Sanders, despite his strange mime routine following the news Flacco would be Cleveland’s QB2 following the Gabriel elevation, should also be expected to rise from QB3 to QB2 on Cleveland’s depth chart.

Browning will be set to slide down Cincinnati’s. After replacing an injured Burrow more effectively in 2023, Browning proved woeful — save for some garbage-time work against the Lions — in his second Cincy starter stint. He threw eight interceptions in four games, including three against Detroit in Week 5.

The Bengals lost by a combined 113-37 against the Vikings, Broncos and Lions. Taylor had gone from offering Browning support ahead of Week 5 to walking it back following the home loss to the Lions. The 2-3 team is throwing a Hail Mary of sorts in Flacco, but the operation was careening off the rails with Browning running the show.

Flacco went 2-4 as a Colts starter last season, and while he posted a 12:7 TD-INT ratio, his form did not closely rival the 2023 Cleveland work. The Bengals also have experienced O-line issues for years. Going into Week 5, Pro Football Focus ranked Cincinnati’s O-line last in the NFL. The stationary QB could struggle behind that quintet, even though he operated well without then-Browns starting tackles Jedrick Wills and Jack Conklin late in the ’23 season.

This will be a wildly interesting experiment for the Bengals, who paid up to extend both Chase and Higgins this offseason. Browning’s form had reduced the marquee receivers’ value; the team will hope Flacco can restore it while Burrow rehabs. A mid-December return is viewed as the goal for Burrow. Flacco helping at least restore offensive competency would stand to keep that hope in play.

58 comments Cincinnati Bengals Cleveland Browns New York Giants Newsstand Transactions

Ravens, Chargers Swap OLB Odafe Oweh, S Alohi Gilman

By | at October 7, 2025 10:12 pm

The Harbaughs are making a deal. The Ravens are trading edge rusher Odafe Oweh to the Chargers in a pick-swap exchange also involving Alohi Gilman, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo report.

Baltimore will trade Oweh and a 2027 seventh-round pick to Los Angeles for Gilman and a 2026 fifth-rounder, ESPN’s Adam Schefter adds. This will move a former first-round pass rusher to a Chargers team missing Khalil Mack on the edge. Oweh is tied to a fifth-year option; no substantive extension talks are believed to have occurred between he and the Ravens.

[RELATED: 2025 NFL Trades]

This trade, 12 years after Jim and John Harbaugh agreed on an Anquan Boldin swap when Jim was with the 49ers, also reunites Oweh with Chargers GM Joe Hortiz. The Bolts hired Hortiz from the Ravens; he was Baltimore’s director of player personnel when the team drafted the outside linebacker in 2021.

Oweh is tied to a $13.25MM fifth-year option salary. It has not been reported the Ravens will pick up any of that tab, with Schefter adding the AFC North team will save around $8MM with this trade. Gilman is tied to a prorated $3.5MM base salary, giving the Ravens some flexibility as they attempt to recover from a disastrous defensive start. While it is a bit surprising to see the Ravens give up on a former first-round pick who played well in 2024, Oweh is unsigned beyond this season.

Baltimore did not re-sign Matt Judon after franchise-tagging him in 2020, leading to the Oweh draft choice, and the team did not bring back Jadeveon Clowney in 2024. The Ravens ahve searched for a long-term OLB piece post-Judon, using Oweh and veteran stopgaps — Kyle Van Noy the most notable — during this period. Baltimore picked up Oweh’s option in April 2024 and then saw him post a 10-sack season also including 23 QB hits. Both were runaway career-high marks for Oweh, but he does not have a sack yet in 2025 (Oweh does rank 33rd in 2025 pressure rate, per TruMedia). The Chargers will still bet on the sporadically productive pass rusher.

This trade comes as both the Harbaugh-led teams are trending downward. As our Ely Allen detailed Sunday night, the Ravens are mired in a historically bad defensive stretch. The injury-wrecked unit has fallen from ninth last season to 32nd through five games. John Harbaugh reaffirmed Zach Orr‘s DC status, but at 1-4 and with Lamar Jackson sidelined with a hamstring injury, the Ravens are well off course. The Chargers have lost back-to-back games, seeing O-line injuries pile up. They will say goodbye to Gilman, who played in three-safety sets alongside Derwin James and Elijah Molden under DC Jesse Minter.

The Ravens have played without Van Noy at points this season, and while the aging EDGE returned in Week 5, Baltimore still dropped a 44-10 game to Houston. The Ravens have six sacks as a team, with Tavius Robinson — a 2023 fourth-round pick who supplanted Oweh in the starting lineup — delivering two of those. The team will lean on Robinson moving forward. Robinson’s rookie deal runs through 2026; Van Noy (34) is signed through season’s end.

Oweh, who will turn 27 before season’s end, started 23 games from 2021-24. The Ravens showed modest extension interest, but no deal was believed to be close this offseason. That set up a pivotal contract year for the Penn State product. He will now finish that out in Los Angeles, as the Chargers will pair Oweh with Tuli Tuipulotu and Bud Dupree for the time being. Mack’s dislocated elbow is not viewed as a season-ending injury, so the 3-2 Bolts should be able to roll out a Mack-Tuipulotu-Dupree-Oweh quartet later this season.

How Oweh fares during his L.A. stint will crystalize his free agency value. If Oweh can bounce back under Minter, he could command a reasonably strong market. After all, he also played an auxiliary role for a No. 1-ranked Ravens defense in 2023. Though, Oweh never eclipsed five sacks in a season prior to 2024. The Chargers will attempt to coax better form as they compete for the AFC West title with the Chiefs and Broncos.

The Gilman move comes a year after the Bolts re-signed him. Early in the Hortiz-Jim Harbaugh partnership’s run, the team brought back the Tom Telesco-era find on a two-year, $10.13MM contract. A former sixth-round pick, Gilman has been a full-time starter over the past three seasons. Gilman’s presence has helped unleash James in a hybrid role at which the All-Pro excels, but Garafolo notes the Ravens wanted him for the same role — for Kyle Hamilton-unleashing purposes. Hamilton and Gilman also played together at Notre Dame in the late 2010s.

Baltimore has been busy at safety today, adding both Gilman and C.J. Gardner-Johnson. The Ravens’ home run with Hamilton aside, they missed on safeties Marcus Williams and Eddie Jackson in recent years. Eric DeCosta was also at the controls for the team’s Earl Thomas misfire. In Gilman, the Ravens have a player who excelled under Jim Harbaugh. Gilman’s deal expires at season’s end.

As I discussed in a recent Trade Rumors Front Office piece, the Chargers had been getting by with a low-cost defense — everywhere but safety, that is. The Bolts had allocated by far the most money to safeties this season, having re-signed Molden on a three-year, $18.75MM deal early this offseason.

With James still on a top-market safety pact, the team will swap out the Gilman money for Oweh’s option price, taking on a few million more than it is sending out. Pro Football Focus slots Gilman 33rd among safeties this season. The Chargers should be expected to turn to ex-Raven (and ex-Ravens scout) Tony Jefferson in Gilman’s place, per ESPN.com’s Kris Rhim.

It is the Ravens who are now flooded in safety investments. Although Gardner-Johnson is starting out on the practice squad, it should be expected the veteran starter debuts for the team soon. Baltimore also used a first-round pick on Malaki Starks. It would stand to reason Gilman would play in three-safety looks in Maryland soon, though it is obviously unclear at this point if he will be in the Ravens’ post-2025 plans.

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