Earlier this week, the Cincinnati Bengals made the shocking move to make a trade with the Cleveland Browns for quarterback Joe Flacco.
The Browns made the decision to bench Flacco this past week for rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel. Now, Flacco will get a fresh start with a team starving for competent quarterback play.
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On Wednesday, Bengals offensive lineman Orlando Brown Jr. shared a funny story about his first memories of Flacco, and they involve being a ball boy for the Baltimore Ravens back in 2008.
“I’ve got Joe Flacco’s signed ball somewhere. Guarantee you.”
Orlando Brown, Jr. was a ball boy for the Ravens when Joe Flacco was drafted in 2008.
Now, he’s about to protect him, for the 2nd time in his career.
Orlando was drafted by the Ravens in 2018, when Flacco was still… pic.twitter.com/RP43iW8dbk
— Caleb Noe (@CalebNoeTV) October 8, 2025
“I’ve got Joe Flacco’s signed ball somewhere. Guarantee you,” Brown revealed, when talking about his time as a ball boy with the Ravens.
Reunion Of Sorts
Brown was drafted by the Ravens back in 2018, which makes him a former teammate of Flacco. The now Bengals quarterback started nine games in his final season with the Ravens back in 2018.
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However, this isn’t 2018, or even 2023. Flacco is being tasked with one of the most difficult jobs a quarterback can be asked to do. The Bengals are hoping the former Super Bowl winner can find a little bit of that magic he had in 2023 that made Browns fans fall in love with him.
To get a chance at that magic, Flacco will need Brown’s protection. Protection has been hard to come by for a Bengals team whose starting quarterback is on the sidelines due to a lack of protection.
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