By William Armstead
CINCINNATI, OH – On October 7th, 2025, the Cincinnati Bengals acquired quarterback Joe Flacco from the Cleveland Browns in a crucial intra-divisional trade. After Bengals starting QB Joe Burrow suffered a toe injury that required surgery, Cincinnati had been searching for a suitable replacement to lead its team.
After Burrow’s injury, Bengals backup QB Jake Browning struggled. Browning threw eight interceptions over four games. Despite his poor four-game performance, Browning is still ranked higher than Flacco in Total QBR, with Flacco at 31st and Browning at 29th. Flacco had a shaky stretch with the Browns so far this season. He completed 58.1% of his passes for 815 yards, two touchdowns, and six interceptions in four games. Bengals head coach Zac Taylor believes Flacco, 40, brings a new level of winning and overall experience to the team. Flacco led the Browns to an unlikely playoff berth in 2023 and also led the Ravens to a Super Bowl victory during the 2012-2013 season.
Flacco will be the starter for a lengthy time, as Burrow’s injury will keep him sidelined for at least three months. Flacco will make his Cincinnati debut this week against the Packers in Green Bay.
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