joe flacco
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Cincinnati Bengals QB Joe Flacco.
The Las Vegas Raiders are weighing their quarterback options ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft. They are expected to take a quarterback with the No. 1 pick, but with Aidan O’Connell the only quarterback on the roster right now, the team needs to add a veteran.
According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Raiders were interested in signing veteran quarterback Joe Flacco before he signed a deal with the Cincinnati Bengals. However, being Joe Burrow’s backup was more appealing than what Las Vegas was potentially offering.
While the 41-year-old quarterback is happy to return to Cincinnati, he’s not happy about not getting a chance to be a starting quarterback elsewhere. He called out the teams that weren’t willing to give him that chance this season.
“Believe me, I wish I was a guy somewhere,” Flacco said during a press conference. “I think teams are dumb for not having me be that guy, but it is what it is. I’m not going to let them or it get me down. I’m going to be the person I am and just approach football the way I always have.”
Was This Shade at Raiders?
It’s interesting that Flacco called out teams for being “dumb.” It’s not a direct shot at the Raiders, but they were one of the main other teams linked to him.
Perhaps he didn’t think their plan of making him compete with Mendoza for the starting quarterback job was very appealing. He might not like the idea of playing second fiddle to another rookie. At least with Burrow, he’s playing behind an MVP candidate quarterback.
He may not have been signaling out the Raiders, but it’s hard not to see his comments as anything else but a bit of a shot. Either way, he’s got an extra chip on his shoulder.
“Who knows what those teams were thinking, anyway?” Flacco said. “Whether I was on their radar or not, I have no idea. It’s not really for me to decide. I can get caught up in all that and say ‘Why not me?’ and all that and be bitter about it.
“Listen, maybe part of that does motivate me to still do what I’m doing. I probably do feel that way. I feel like I have unfinished business. That’s part of why I’m still here playing and doing all those things. Not being one of those guys to go sign somewhere, yeah, it pisses me off a little bit.”
Raiders Better Off With Mendoza
Flacco has proven in recent years that he’s still a capable quarterback, but the Raiders are a rebuilding team, and committing to a 41-year-old starting quarterback doesn’t make much sense.
CBS Sports’ Carter Bahns believes the Raiders are better off focusing on Mendoza.
“The Las Vegas Raiders made it obvious when they released Geno Smith that they are going all-in on Fernando Mendoza from the jump,” Bahns wrote. “The projected No. 1 overall pick will slot right in as their starter in Week 1. If they wanted a bridge option, they would have just kept Smith around for another year and eased Mendoza into the lineup. As such, Flacco was probably an afterthought.”