Bengals Pursued Several QB Options Before Settling On Joe Flacco
The Bengals initially hoped that Jake Browning would be able to keep the ship afloat as the team awaited Joe Burrow‘s return from injury. However, after the fill-in tossed three interceptions for his third-straight loss, the front office decided to pivot, bringing in Joe Flacco to temporarily guide the offense.
[RELATED: Bengals Acquire Joe Flacco From Browns]
However, the Bengals did explore some other options before ultimately settling on the 40-year-old signal caller. According to ESPN’s Dan Graziano, the front office called around to any team that had some extra QB depth. In fact, there was “some chatter” surrounding Cincy’s pursuit of Seahawks QB Drew Lock and Eagles QB Sam Howell. On the flip side, none of Russell Wilson, Jameis Winston, nor Kirk Cousins were “ever real possibilities” for the franchise.
Both Lock and Howell represent younger options than Flacco (it’d be hard not to). Lock has 28 games of starting experience, with close to half of those appearances coming with the Broncos in 2020. After going 1-4 in five starts with the Giants in 2024, Lock inked a two-year contract with the Seahawks this past offseason. That means the QB would have brought some extra team control to Cincinnati.
Howell is playing out the final season of his rookie contract, and a deal with Cincinnati would have marked his fourth trade since March of 2024. Howell was actually Lock’s predecessor as Seattle’s QB2, as he got limited reps while backing up Geno Smith in 2024. Before that, he started all 17 games for the Commanders in 2023, tossing 21 touchdowns vs. a league-leading 21 interceptions.
Any of Wilson, Winston, and Cousins would have brought their own intrigue to the Bengals. Wilson was recently benched for rookie Jaxson Dart in New York, and Winston has yet to see the field as a Giants backup in 2025. Cousins is somehow still kicking around Atlanta, although he did make a cameo in a blowout loss to the Panthers last month.
Flacco was ultimately the team’s choice as a stopgap quarterback. According to Graziano, the Bengals didn’t anticipate any acquisition to immediately be inserted into the starting lineup, but the team is apparently hopeful that Flacco will be able to start this weekend against the Packers. If he’s not ready to go, then the veteran would be set to make his Bengals debut the following Thursday night against the Steelers.
Vance Joseph Moving Back Onto HC Radar
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.
Titans Move WR Treylon Burks Off IR List
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.
NFC East Notes: Cowboys, Lawrence, Eagles
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.
Dolphins Place CB Cornell Armstrong On IR
The Dolphins’ banged-up secondary took another hit Wednesday. The team placed nickel cornerback Cornell Armstrong on injured reserve. He’ll miss at least four games after suffering a hamstring injury in a loss to the Panthers last Sunday.
The Dolphins now have three nickel corners on IR. Along with Armstrong, Jason Marshall and Artie Burns are on the shelf. Marshall has missed two games with a hamstring injury, which opened up playing time for Armstrong, while Burns won’t factor in at all this season after tearing his ACL during training camp.
The injury woes at nickel CB are only part of the problem in Miami’s secondary. Like Burns, corner Kader Kohou tore his ACL in July. The Dolphins have also gone without corner Storm Duck since he injured his ankle in a Week 1 loss to the Colts. Their absences help explain why Miami’s defense ranks last in the NFL in opposing passer rating and completion percentage,
Armstrong first became a Dolphin when they chose him in the sixth round of the 2018 draft. He played in 15 games as a rookie, but the Dolphins released him after the season. Armstrong went on to see action with the Texans (2019) and Falcons (2022) before Miami brought him back over the summer when it placed Burns on IR. The 30-year-old has played in three games this year and registered two tackles.
Having lost another nickel CB, safety Minkah Fitzpatrick will have to continue helping the Dolphins fill that role, per Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. With Fitzpatrick needed elsewhere, the Dolphins signed practice squad safety Jordan Colbert to their active roster on Wednesday. The 25-year-old made his NFL debut in the Dolphins’ Week 3 loss to the Bills. All 12 of his snaps came on special teams.
To take Colbert’s spot on their practice squad, the Dolphins signed Kendall Sheffield. The former Falcon, 49er, Titan, and Jet has appeared in 49 games (20 starts) since debuting in 2019. Sheffield signed with the Dolphins in late May, but they cut him in late August. They elected to bring him back after working out free agent corners Ethan Robinson, Daequan Hardy, and Myles Purchase on Tuesday, according to Jackson.
49ers Could Be Active At Trade Deadline; Team Seeking DE Addition?
The 49ers have stormed out to a 4-1 start despite a slew of injuries to important contributors. With the Nov. 4 trade deadline looming as a key improvement avenue, Cam Inman of the Mercury News expects general manager John Lynch to deal for outside help in the next few weeks. More specifically, it is likely that the 49ers at least want to acquire an edge rusher, according to Vic Tafur of The Athletic.
The pass rush became an obvious area of concern for the 49ers when defensive end Nick Bosa tore the ACL in his left knee in Week 3. That injury ended a season that began in promising fashion for the former Defensive Player of the Year. Bosa totaled 17 tackles, two sacks, and two forced fumbles in the early going this year.
Despite their strong start, the 49ers have had a difficult time getting to enemy quarterbacks since losing Bosa. The rest of their defense has accounted for just four sacks, and the team’s total (six) ranks 30th in the league.
It doesn’t help matters that the 49ers’ Bosa-less defensive line is now dealing with injuries to Yetur Gross-Matos (hamstring), Kalia Davis (hand), and Alfred Collins (knee). While Collins could play this week against the Buccaneers in a battle of 4-1 NFC teams, Gross-Matos and Davis are expected to miss time.
Unfortunately for San Francisco, nobody from the Gross-Matos/Davis/Collins group has registered a sack this year. The same is true of Mykel Williams, the 11th overall pick in this year’s draft. Williams has played 68.6% of defensive snaps as a rookie, but his production hasn’t been great through his first five games. Pro Football Focus ranks his performance 128th among 169 qualifying EDGE players.
Other than Bosa, Bryce Huff is the only D-lineman on the team who has taken down an opposing QB in 2025. Huff, acquired from the Eagles in June, has notched three sacks and a forced fumble over his first five games with San Francisco. He also ranks 19th among EDGE players in pass rush win rate. It’s worth noting that Huff posted a career-high 10 sacks with the Jets in 2023. Niners defensive coordinator Robert Saleh was the Jets’ head coach then, and it seems he’s once again getting the most out of Huff after a 2.5-sack showing with the Eagles in 2024.
If pass-rushing complements to Huff don’t emerge from within over the next month, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the aggressive Lynch swing one or more deals. Lynch has a long history of deadline activity — at D-end alone, the 49ers have traded for Charles Omenihu, Randy Gregory and Chase Young in-season since 2021 — and is armed with roughly $24MM in cap space, which will make it easier to maneuver on the market.
PFR’s Ely Allen identified the Dolphins‘ Jaelan Phillips as a trade candidate and a potential fit for the 49ers last week. The Saints, who are expected to sell at the deadline, could move eight-time Pro Bowler Cameron Jordan. The Titans also roster ex-49er Arden Key, who left San Francisco via free agency in 2023, and sit 1-4. It’s a long shot, but Bengals star and soon-to-be free agent Trey Hendrickson could be worth monitoring if they fall out of contention over the next few weeks. For now, having traded for quarterback Joe Flacco on Tuesday, the Bengals are still trying to stay alive for a potential Joe Burrow return from IR later in the season.
Bengals To Start QB Joe Flacco In Week 6
Bengals head coach Zac Taylor announced Wednesday (via The Athletic’s Paul Dehner Jr.) newly acquired quarterback Joe Flacco will take all the reps in practice this week and start against the Packers on Sunday.
Trading for Flacco expressed Cincinnati’s clear desire to make a change at quarterback after three straight losses with Jake Browning under center. They will make the switch right away, which will force Flacco to quickly get up to speed in his new offense.
The Bengals were hoping Browning could keep the offense afloat after Joe Burrow‘s injury and keep their season alive in case the two-time Pro Bowler makes a return late in the year. Instead, Browning threw multiple interceptions in three of his four games, handicapping Cincinnati on both sides of the ball.
Historically light in terms of in-season player acquisition volume in trades, the Bengals bent on their usual stance after Browning threw three more interceptions in a one-sided loss to the Lions. They acquired Flacco and a 2026 sixth-round pick from the Browns for a 2026 fifth. Flacco also struggled with INTs with the Browns, leading to his benching, and Pro Football Focus ranking the Bengals’ O-line 32nd through five games still could create a high degree of difficulty for the statuesque trade pickup. But the Bengals were sinking fast; they will try Flacco immediately.
Taylor left the door open to a Browning benching, after previously voicing support for Burrow’s backup, after Week 5. The team considered several QB options early this week, and VP of player personnel Duke Tobin brought Flacco to Taylor’s attention (via ESPN.com’s Ben Baby) to gauge the coach’s interest before making the deal. As could be expected, Kevin Stefanski confirmed (via The Athletic’s Zac Jackson) the Bengals made the first trade contact on the QB. After Taylor gave his approval, another Ohio learning curve will take place for Flacco.
While Flacco will be in the historically interesting position of facing the Packers twice in three weeks with two different teams, he has considerable success picking up an offense on the fly. His first Browns stint, though, did feature a longer ramp-up period.
With Deshaun Watson suffering a season-ending shoulder injury, the Browns initially signed Flacco on Nov. 19, 2023. They faced the Broncos with Dorian Thompson-Robinson at the controls days later, not turning to Flacco until the following week. Flacco debuted Dec. 3 and lost his first start (to the Rams). The aging QB, who did not receive much free agency interest that offseason, proceeded to win his next four starts to move the injury-battered Browns to a surprising wild-card berth. That earned him Comeback Player of the Year acclaim and Stefanski his second Coach of the Year honor.
The Bengals will give Flacco a similar assignment, counting on the 18th-year veteran to salvage a sinking season. He will team with Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Chase Brown. Although Flacco played with Amari Cooper in 2023, the Chase-Higgins combo will easily be the best of his career. While challenges present themselves in terms of Cincy’s O-line keeping Flacco upright, the team’s pass-catching talent will make this an interesting experiment.
Sam Robinson contributed to this post.
Panthers Designate Jalen Coker For Return
A quad strain has prevented Panthers wide receiver Jalen Coker from taking the field in his second NFL season. It appears Coker’s 2025 debut is nearing, though, as the Panthers opened his practice window on Wednesday, Joe Person of The Athletic reports. He’ll likely work with the scout team in his first practice, according to Person. The Panthers will have 21 days to activate Coker from injured reserve.
As an undrafted rookie from Holy Cross, Coker was more productive than expected last year. The 6-foot-3, 213-pounder started in four of 11 games and hauled in 32 of 46 targets for 478 yards (14.9 YPC) and a pair of touchdowns. Coker impressed the Panthers so much that it helped lead them to trade slot receiver Adam Thielen to the Vikings in late August.
A day after the Panthers dealt Thielen, Coker suffered his injury. Had Coker stayed healthy, general manager Dan Morgan said he would have taken Thielen’s place as Carolina’s top choice in the slot. Once those plans were dashed, the team re-signed veteran Hunter Renfrow after releasing him during final roster cuts.
Renfrow caught just one pass for 7 yards as the Panthers beat the Dolphins to improve to 2-3 last week. While he does have two TDs this season, Renfrow has averaged a meager 5.9 yards on 14 receptions. Rookie receiver Tetairoa McMillan, a first-round pick last spring, served as quarterback Bryce Young‘s No. 1 target during a six-catch, 73-yard afternoon against the Dolphins. McMillan has turned heads during his first NFL action, but the Panthers are otherwise lacking weapons in the passing game. Xavier Legette, who was a rookie alongside Coker in 2024, has only pulled in six of 18 targets for 39 yards in three games.
When Coker returns, it will likely impact the playing time of Renfrow, Jimmy Horn, and Brycen Tremayne, Mike Kaye of the Charlotte Observer writes. Horn, a sixth-round rookie from Colorado, made his debut last week and caught two of three targets for 21 yards. Tremayne, a second-year man who’s in his first season with the Panthers, has picked up nine receptions for 108 yards in five games.
Lions CB Terrion Arnold To Return ‘Sooner Than Expected’
12:40 p.m.: Lions head coach Dan Campbell threw some lukewarm water on expectations for Arnold’s return after the latest injury news, per ESPN’s Eric Woodyard.
Campbell said that the second opinion on his young cornerback’s shoulder seems like a positive development, but is still uncertain about a precise timeline.
10:04 a.m.: Lions cornerback Terrion Arnold is expected to return “sooner than expected” from a shoulder injury that was originally thought to sideline him for a significant amount of time, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
There were even fears that Arnold could miss the rest of the season, but that is no longer a concern. The second-year corner sought a second opinion on his injury, which revealed that he would not need surgery, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. He could even return this month.
Arnold’s return will be important for a depleted Detroit secondary. He struggled to start the year and saw his snap share decrease in Week 4, but D.J. Reed‘s injury pressed him back into a more prominent role in the next game. Reed will be out for at least three more games while he is on injured reserve, and Ennis Rakestraw was declared out for the season during training camp. Depth cornerback Khalil Dorsey will also miss time with a wrist injury, per Justin Rogers of Detroit Football Network.
As a result, Arnold cannot get back on the field soon enough. Rock Ya-Sin will be one of Detroit’s starting cornerbacks moving forward, while Amik Robertson will likely play on the boundary in base formations and flip into the slot for nickel and dime packages. That will require another outside cornerback for those latter looks, but the Lions have no clear answer on their roster. Former Eagle Avonte Maddox has primarily lined up in the slot in his career and as a free safety this season. Veteran Tre Flowers is likely Detroit’s best option. He played in their last game and will likely be elevated or promoted from the practice squad for Week 6.
Nakobe Dean Expected To Make Season Debut On Thursday
Eagles linebacker Nakobe Dean is on the verge of making his 2025 debut. He’s expected to play on Thursday against the NFC East rival Giants, according to Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports. The Eagles placed Dean on the reserve/PUP list in August, and he sat out their first five games while recovering from a knee injury. He returned to practice last week.
A third-round pick in 2022, Dean finally broke through last season before suffering a torn patellar tendon during a wild-card round win over the Packers. The former Georgia standout set new career highs with 15 starts, 128 tackles, three sacks, and an interception, helping the Eagles to a 14-3 record and a division championship. However, Dean’s knee injury shelved him for the Eagles’ final three playoff games, including a 40-22 rout of the Chiefs in the Super Bowl.
The Eagles have made a couple of notable transactions at linebacker since last season ended, calling Dean’s future with the organization into question. The team locked up 2024 breakout star Zack Baun to a three-year, $51MM contract in March and then selected Jihaad Campbell in the first round (31st overall) of the draft. Baun has opened this season playing 100 percent of defensive snaps during the Eagles’ 4-1 start, while Campbell isn’t far behind (95.5).
While Baun committed a costly unnecessary roughness penalty in the fourth quarter of a loss to the Broncos last Sunday, he has enjoyed another terrific year. Meanwhile, Campbell has made a seamless transition from Alabama to Philadelphia. As a result, Dean may not see as much playing time in coordinator Vic Fangio’s defense as he did a year ago, when he ranked fourth among Eagles defenders in snaps.
A drop in snaps wouldn’t be ideal for Dean, who’s due to reach free agency in the offseason, but he’ll nonetheless give Philadelphia another quality defender upon his return. Having faced quarterbacks Dak Prescott, Patrick Mahomes, Matthew Stafford, Baker Mayfield, and Bo Nix over the first five weeks of the season, the Eagles’ defense ranks a middling 16th in points per game allowed and 20th in yards. The Eagles could have an easier time this week against Giants rookie Jaxson Dart, and Dean’s presence should help their cause.