Bengals' panic move won't stop downward spiral

The Cincinnati Bengals are sinking, and recently acquired quarterback Joe Flacco is unlikely to save them.

On Tuesday, the Bengals made a questionable panic move after losing their third consecutive game in Week 5, sending a 2026 fifth-round pick to the division-rival Cleveland Browns for Flacco and a 2026 sixth-rounder, according to The Athletic NFL insider Dianna Russini.

Cincinnati, which is without starting quarterback Joe Burrow (turf toe), has been unable to take advantage of a wide-open AFC North, ranking 29th in scoring offense (17 points per game) and 30th in scoring defense (31.2 points per game) entering Week 6.

Flacco started the season as the Browns starting quarterback but was benched after a horrid start to the season. In four games, Flacco completed 58.1 percent of his pass attempts for 815 yards (5.1 yards per attempt), two touchdowns and six interceptions. His 60.3 passer rating is the lowest in his 18-year NFL career.

Joe Flacco won't stop Bengals' free fall

While the Bengals needed to add a quarterback with Jake Browning cratering, Flacco isn't the answer. Cincinnati can't expect to get the version that was named the 2023 Associated Press Comeback Player of the Year. Instead, he'll likely be just as much of a liability to turn the ball over as Browning, who has an alarming 6.5 percent interception rate, throwing eight picks in 124 pass attempts.

Over his last 17 games (15 starts) dating back to 2023, Flacco has thrown 21 interceptions, so ball security isn't a strength. For a team that has one of the league's worst defenses, Cincinnati can't afford to have a quarterback give opponents extra possessions.

Flacco is also not a great option for getting the most out of a talented Bengals receiving corps led by All-Pro Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. Per Pro Football Focus data, Flacco completed just 22.2 percent of his pass attempts 20 yards or more downfield for 119 yards (6.6 yards per attempt) with no touchdowns and three interceptions in his second stint with Cleveland.

Burrow isn't expected to be back until December, but by then, the Bengals could be far removed from the playoff conversation. They've lost three consecutive games by an average of 25.3 points per game and travel to the Green Bay Packers (2-1-1) in Week 6.

Cincinnati may have been able to find a quarterback with more upside on the trade block than Flacco, such as New York Giants backup Jameis Winston. While a turnover machine, he at least wouldn't be hesitant to push the ball downfield to the Bengals' elite pass-catchers.

At the rate the season is going, that draft pick heading to the Browns could be one of the top ones in Round 5. Teams often find valuable depth pieces on the third day of the draft, and for a team with as many holes as the Bengals, parting with that pick for less than one season of Flacco is unwise.

It's understandable why Cincinnati would panic with the season spiraling. The front office didn't hand lucrative contracts to Chase, Higgins and defensive end Trey Hendrickson just to be an afterthought in its own division. But with mediocre (at best) quarterback play, that's exactly what the Bengals are. And that's unlikely to change with Flacco.