The Cincinnati Bengals acquired veteran quarterback Joe Flacco from the Cleveland Browns on Tuesday, two days after Bengals coach Zac Taylor remained noncommittal on Jake Browning’s status as starting quarterback. The Bengals have been looking for long-term help under center since Joe Burrow injured his toe in Week 2.
But is Flacco the answer to helping Cincinnati end a three-game losing streak and keep its playoff hopes alive?
The Browns brought Flacco back last offseason to provide veteran leadership in a crowded quarterback room that also included rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders. The 18-year veteran started Cleveland’s first four games — going 1-3 — before being replaced by Gabriel in Sunday’s loss to the Minnesota Vikings.
It was a surprising trade considering it was the first between the teams since the Browns returned to the NFL in 1999. And it was the first in-season intra-division trade involving a quarterback since 1990, according to ESPN Research.
ESPN Bengals reporter Ben Baby, Browns reporter Daniel Oyefusi, national football insider Jeremy Fowler and fantasy analyst Eric Moody weigh in on whether Flacco can keep the Bengals in contention until Burrow returns, what that means for the Browns QB room, fantasy implications and more.
Can Flacco keep the Bengals afloat until Joe Burrow returns?
baby: That’s the hope, right? But for that to happen, Flacco has to be better than he was earlier this season in Cleveland. Flacco notably threw two interceptions in a 17-16 loss to the Bengals in the season opener on September 7, including one late in the game as the Browns attempted to mount a dramatic comeback.
On paper, Flacco makes sense. He’s a seasoned veteran who can run a version of Taylor’s offense right away. But it also presents many of the same problems that plagued Browning.
Browning is second in the NFL with eight interceptions. Flacco is third with six. In Total QBR, Browning is ranked higher than Flacco, who is second-to-last in the league in that category (27.6).
Even though Flacco is a flashy name who played well as recently as 2023, when he was the Comeback Player of the Year with Cleveland, the Bengals will need the best version of the 40-year-old quarterback if they want to win enough games to stabilize their season before Burrow is available to return. Cincinnati still hasn’t set a timetable for Burrow’s return. Sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter that Burrow is expected to miss at least three months. However, Taylor has yet to rule Burrow out for the remainder of the season.
How does this decision impact Gabriel, Sanders and the Browns’ prospects on their two 2026 first-round picks?
Illusion: The Browns signed Gabriel as their starting QB last week, and the rest of the season apparently serves as an audition not only for him but also for Sanders, who has been the No. 3 and emergency QB since Week 1.
Browns owner Jimmy Haslam said at the start of training camp in late July that it was “absolutely” important for the team to evaluate both rookies on the field ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft, when the Browns will own a first-round pick of their own and the Jacksonville Jaguars’ first-round pick.
“[Head coach Kevin Stefanski] is aware of it; he knows how important the quarterback is; and he and [general manager Andrew Berry] talk about this stuff all the time,” Haslam said. “It’s a daily, ongoing conversation.”
Trading Flacco opens the door for Sanders to become the team’s backup, but Cleveland also signed Bailey Zappe to the practice squad. The Browns listed Sanders as their No. 2 quarterback on Tuesday’s unofficial depth chart for their upcoming game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Quarterback Deshaun Watson remains on the physically unable to perform list as he continues to recover from an Achilles injury that the team believes will sideline him for a significant portion of the 2025 season.
What is the fantasy impact for Flacco and the Bengals WRs?
Moody: Flacco started Cleveland’s first four games this season, but only scored double-digit fantasy points once, completing 58.1 percent of his passes. The Browns’ decision to move on from the veteran reflects their confidence in Gabriel, who made his NFL debut overseas against a tough defense and scored 16.1 fantasy points. With Flacco gone, Gabriel will see more reps, accelerating his development, while Sanders could move into the backup QB role. In deeper superflex formats, Gabriel is best viewed as a QB3.
For the Bengals, the arrival of Flacco is a curious decision. In EPA per drop, he ranks second among 33 qualified QBs, only slightly better than Browning (EPA, or expected points added, measures how much a play changes a team’s chances of scoring). With 18 years of experience, he could stabilize Cincinnati’s offense and slightly raise the fantasy floors of Ja’Marr Chase, a low-end WR1, and Tee Higgins, a low-end flex, until Burrow returns.
What does this mean for the AFC North?
Hunter: The division hasn’t felt this wide open in a while, which is probably why the Bengals broke character by making the rare trade between AFC North rivals. They feel they can still win. Baltimore is down at 1-4, and although the Steelers have become the early favorite, they need to prove they won’t burn out at the end of the year like they did in 2024.
Cincinnati may be flawed, but it has the best talented player in the division. Flacco will give Chase and Higgins more predictability on their routes, and he’s not afraid to attempt difficult throws. The defense and offensive line still have issues, but the Bengals are built to win penalty kicks and Flacco gives them the best chance to do so.
Cleveland is now Gabriel’s team. The Browns are all about developing him and actually have enough talent to string together wins. They should probably be 3-2 right now.
