The Cincinnati Bengals have traded for Cleveland Browns quarterback Joe Flacco.
The Browns will also send a 2026 sixth-round draft pick to the Bengals and receive a 2026 fifth-round pick in return. The Browns confirmed the trade on Tuesday.
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The Bengals make the move as their season has spiraled in the aftermath of a turf toe injury that’s expected to sideline franchise quarterback Joe Burrow for most of the season. Burrow sustained the injury in Week 2.
With backup Jake Browning at quarterback, the Bengals have lost 48-10 to the Vikings, 28-3 to the Broncos and 37-24 to the Lions as an offense projected as one of the league’s best has gone stagnant.
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It quickly became apparent that the Bengals could not remain competitive with Browning, and they discussed multiple options at quarterback, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reports. They did not call the Giants about trading for Jameis Winston or Russell Wilson, per the report.
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Flacco, an 18-season NFL veteran who’s started for most of his career, will presumably take over as Cincinnati’s starting quarterback once he’s acclimated to his new team.
Browns left with 2 rookies on QB depth chart
Flacco rejoined the Browns this season after playing in 2024 for the Colts. On a roster with rookie quarterbacks Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders, Flacco was named the starter before the season and started Cleveland’s first four games.
The Browns demoted Flacco in favor of Gabriel after a 1-3 start for a Week 5 game against the Vikings. They’ve now traded Flacco to a division rival in exchange for a late-round pick swap. Per ESPN, this is the first trade between the Bengals and Browns since the Browns returned to the NFL in 1999.
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Sanders was the No. 3 quarterback on Cleveland’s depth chart. Now he’s the only other active quarterback on Cleveland’s roster behind Gabriel. The Browns traded veteran Kenny Pickett to the Las Vegas Raiders in the preseason, and they still have Deshaun Watson, who’s recovering from a second rupture of his Achilles tendon.
Can Bengals compete for AFC North with Flacco?
The question in Cincinnati now becomes: Can Flacco save their season? The Bengals were projected to compete for a playoff spot before the season but are now 2-3 after a 2-0 start with Burrow under center.
The AFC North, meanwhile, is unexpectedly up for grabs amid the stunning 1-4 start by the preseason division favorite and Super Bowl hopeful Baltimore Ravens. The 3-1 Pittsburgh Steelers are in first place in the division, while the Bengals sit in second place ahead of the one-win Browns and Ravens.
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At the same time, the Browns traded Flacco for a pittance to a rival for a reason. Cleveland’s offense was not good with Flacco and didn’t score more than 17 points in any of his four starts. Flacco, 40, completed 58.1% of his passes, for 5.1 yards per attempt with two touchdowns and six interceptions. Those are dreadful numbers for an NFL quarterback and not remotely fitting of a starter.
But the Bengals have seen enough of Browning (64.5% completion rate, six touchdowns, eight interceptions), as offensive weapons Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Chase Brown have largely been relegated to irrelevance with him at quarterback. They’re apparently hoping for a revival of competent quarterback play that Flacco demonstrated in 2023 and 2024 as a part-time starter with the Browns and Colts.
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