New York Jets quarterback Joe Flacco (19) and Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) talk after the game. The Bengals defeat the Jets, 27-12, at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, Sept. 25, 2022. Nfl Jets Vs Cincinnati Bengals Bengals At Jets Danielle Parhizkaran/NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK

Cincinnati Bengals Will Go Against Familiar Face in Season Opener Against Cleveland Browns

Originally posted on Cincinnati Bengals on SI
By James Rapien | Last updated Aug 18, 2025 1:12 PM ET

Joe Flacco will start for the Cleveland Browns in the regular season opener against the Cincinnati Bengals on September 7.

The Browns made the announcement on Monday afternoon.

Flacco was never really pushed in training camp, with a trio of Shedeur Sanders, Dillon Gabriel and Kenny Pickett also on the roster.

The Bengals head to Cleveland hoping to start 1-0 for the first time since 2021. They've started the season 0-2 in each of the past three years, including a 24-3 loss to the Browns in Cleveland to start the 2023 season.

Head coach Zac Taylor is 1-5 in regular season openers. This will be a major early season test for the Bengals—a team that has made it clear they want to start fast this season.

"We talked about as a team, you know what that actually means, not just saying the term fast start," Taylor said in June. "Some of the stuff we'll just keep for our team meetings. But I do think you got to be specific with what our approach will be going forward, training camp, season, some things that we've identified that we think we can prove that in ways to, you know, start the season off on the right foot."

Check out the Browns' official announcement below: