Joe Flacco has been traded from the Browns to the Bengals. Scott Galvin-Imagn Images

Bengals HC tries to hype up Joe Flacco after pulling off rare trade

By Clark Dalton | Last updated Oct 7, 2025 4:59 PM ET

Quarterback Joe Flacco saved the Cleveland Browns during the 2023 season. Their AFC North rival hopes he can do the same for it.

On Tuesday, the Cincinnati Bengals sent a 2026 fifth-round pick to the Browns for Flacco and a 2026 sixth-round pick. Citing ESPN Research producer Evan Kaplan, ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter tweeted that it's the third intradivision trade involving a QB this century.

Acquiring Flacco, 40, seems desperate for the 2-3 Bengals, who have lost three straight games since star QB Joe Burrow injured his left toe in Week 2. Still, head coach Zac Taylor believes the Super Bowl XLVII MVP could spark a turnaround.

Zac Taylor hypes Joe Flacco

"Joe is an experienced quarterback with a history of winning," the coach said Tuesday, per the team's X account. "He is a leader with a skill set that will fit our personnel well. He is a gifted passer with a strong arm, and we are excited to have him on our team."

Joe is a gifted passer with a strong arm, and we are excited to have him on our team. pic.twitter.com/1DKoxVPQhK
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) October 7, 2025

Flacco is all of those. In 18 seasons, the former Baltimore Ravens star has a 106-89 regular-season record as a starter. During the 2023 season, he replaced injured Browns starting QB Deshaun Watson, going 4-1 in five starts, which helped the Browns finish 11-6 and make the playoffs. For his efforts, he won Comeback Player of the Year.

Recently, though, Flacco hasn't looked much better than Bengals backup QB Jake Browning. In four starts with the Browns this season, he went 1-3, throwing two touchdown passes and six interceptions before being benched in favor of rookie Dillon Gabriel.

Browning, meanwhile, has gone 0-3 in three starts and tossed six TDs and eight interceptions in four games.

Flacco has a better receiving corps in Cincinnati than he did in Cleveland. The Bengals feature star wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase, who ranks 10th in the NFL in receiving yards (374 in five games). However, that may not be enough to help the QB reacquire his 2023 magic, even if Taylor believes he could.

Clark Dalton

Dalton is a 2022 journalism graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. He gained experience in sports media over the past seven years — from live broadcasting and creating short films to podcasting and producing. In college, he wrote for The Daily Texan. He loves sports and enjoys hiking, kayaking and camping.

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