On the eve of the legal tampering period, NFL insider Tom Pelissero shared an update on Joe Flacco’s status as a pending free agent.
“Veteran QB Joe Flacco, who will be a free agent Monday, wants an opportunity to at least compete for a starting job. But if he’s a backup, sources say, Flacco would strongly consider a return to Cincinnati,” Pelissero wrote.
Veteran QB Joe Flacco, who will be a free agent Monday, wants an opportunity to at least compete for a starting job. But if he’s a backup, sources say, Flacco would strongly consider a return to Cincinnati, where he filled in for Joe Burrow last fall and made his first Pro Bowl. pic.twitter.com/SktpE1Eajl
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) March 8, 2026
Flacco was infamously traded to the Bengals in the middle of the 2025 season by the Cleveland Browns after winning their Week 1 starting job. That trade drew ire, and an uncharacteristic comment from Mike Tomlin. Just a few days later, Flacco went on to upset the Steelers.
With a half season in Cincinnati, the longtime Baltimore Ravens starter spent time with three of the four teams in the AFC North. He has expressed willingness to complete the quadfecta by joining the Steelers.
Flacco isn’t the ideal candidate, but could make some sense if Aaron Rodgers indicates he isn’t going to return. Flacco likely won’t be a hot commodity, so Pittsburgh wouldn’t have to move quick to sign him, giving Rodgers more time to decide. If Rodgers retires, Pittsburgh will need a veteran, and Flacco fits the description. At 41 years old, he plays a similar style of football to late-career Rodgers.
Would anybody be shocked in a scenario where Flacco starts the first three or four games before the Steelers transition to Will Howard to see what he can bring to the table? Mike McCarthy, Omar Khan, and even Aaron Rodgers all expressed faith in Howard when he eventually gets an opportunity.
If not Flacco, then who? Many want Malik Willis, but otherwise the options include Tua Tagovailoa, Kyler Murray, Derek Carr, and Geno Smith. At the very least, he would be a cheap alternative to a splashier move like Willis.
If he doesn’t get a starting opportunity, he will likely be back in Cincinnati to back up one of the most injured quarterbacks of the last few seasons.
Recommended for you