The Cincinnati Bengals are turning to veteran quarterback Joe Flacco to stabilize their offense in Sunday’s game against the Green Bay Packers. But the veteran quarterback may not have been their first choice.
The Bengals traded a 2026 fifth-round pick to the Cleveland Browns on Tuesday for Flacco and a 2026 sixth-round selection. During a discussion about Flacco and the Bengals on ESPN’s “Sunday NFL Countdown,” reporter Adam Schefter said the Bengals were constrained by salary cap limitations from paying both wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, limiting them from getting veteran quarterback options such as Giants backup Russell Wilson or Atlanta Falcons backup Kirk Cousins.
Schefter said the Bengals reached out to several teams, including the Eagles and the Baltimore Ravens, to inquire about players on their rosters.
“They had to go get some sort of bargain quarterback and they had to do something and shake things up,” Schefter said. “They checked in on Sam Howell, Tyler Huntley and Drew Lock (Seattle Seahawks). They checked in on quarterbacks across the league. Ultimately, they felt, and we’ll see if they’re right, that Joe Flacco was the one that could bring a spark to their offense, that would fit into their offense and would keep these receivers who are being paid a lot of money happy.”
Flacco started four games for them in his second stint with the team, completing 58.1% of his passes for 815 yards, two touchdowns and six interceptions. He became expendable after the Browns decided to name rookie Dillon Gabriel as their starter in Week 5 before the team’s game against the Minnesota Vikings in London. Gabriel responded by throwing for 190 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions in the loss, making the Browns feel comfortable enough to move Flacco to No. 2 on their depth chart.
The Bengals felt the need to get Flacco after starting quarterback Joe Burrow suffered a Grade 3 turf toe injury in Week 2, landing him on injured reserve. With Burrow not expected to return until December at the earliest, the Bengals turned to Jake Browning, hoping he could fill in and keep the Bengals in a position to win games.
However, Browning struggled with turnovers, throwing eight interceptions in the three games he has played, contributing to the Bengals going 0-3 with him as a starter. The Bengals are also 32nd in the league in total offense, averaging only 228.6 yards per game.
After Dorian Thompson-Robinson and Kyle McCord struggled in the preseason, the Eagles were looking for a third quarterback option. They eventually sent a 2026 fifth-round pick and a 2027 seventh-round pick to the Minnesota Vikings to add Howell to the roster. The Eagles also received a 2026 sixth-round selection. Huntley was also a viable candidate, with the former Pro Bowler starting five games for the Miami Dolphins last season and compiling a 2-3 record, completing 64.7% of his passes for 829 yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions.
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