Joe Flacco is officially become the “Unc still got it” meme.
The Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Flacco, who was acquired in a trade with the Cleveland Browns earlier this month, made his second start for the team on this week’s “Thursday Night Football” against the Pittsburgh Steelers. In the fourth quarter at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio, Flacco stunned everyone by showing off his wheels at 40 years old.
On a 2nd-and-10 play deep in his own territory, Flacco somehow ran for 13 yards off a designed zone read. Here is the video of the hard-to-believe play.
JOESEPH VINCENT FLACCO.
PITvsCIN on Prime Video
Also streaming on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/CnVzQCxMLO
— NFL (@NFL) October 17, 2025
Fans had some incredible reactions on X to one of the unlikeliest moments of the NFL season.
@PFTCommenter @BarstoolBigCat everyone’s thoughts after that Joe flacco run pic.twitter.com/4J4j9Re5F5
— Mayor of Neast (@PaddyMacSwag) October 17, 2025
Joe Flacco Scrambling for a first down pic.twitter.com/T8uxaOTLhV
— Pardon My Take (@PardonMyTake) October 17, 2025
did this mf joe flacco just run a read option for a first down pic.twitter.com/ZYOfPFvt79
— black peter pan (@slimmamba00) October 17, 2025
Joe Flacco just ran a read option pic.twitter.com/pIMDxpZmux
— SleeperNFL (@SleeperNFL) October 17, 2025
Interestingly enough, the former Super Bowl MVP Flacco also had a 21-yard run last year with the Indianapolis Colts. But prior to that, Flacco’s most recent run in the double digits came all the way back in 2018 when he was still with the Baltimore Ravens.
Flacco also did other cool things on Thursday, going 31/47 on pass attempts for 342 yards and three touchdowns to no interceptions. That was good enough to outduel his fellow 40-something Aaron Rodgers (who was 23/34 for 249 yards and four touchdowns for the Steelers) and give the Bengals the 33-31 upset victory.
Despite Joe Burrow’s extended injury absence and the mighty struggles of Jake Browning in an attempt to relieve him, Cincinnati is now up to 3-4 on the year and very much back in the hunt for a playoff spot. Plenty of it has to do with the fantastic performance of Flacco, who recently went viral for his great comments about why he continues to play in the NFL.