Joe Flacco could have followed in the footsteps of fellow veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins and waited to see if a team would have found itself in need of a fill-in starter later this summer or fall.
Instead, Flacco decided to return to a Cincinnati Bengals side that acquired him from the Cleveland Browns during the 2025 season. While Flacco understands he is on track to serve as the backup for Cincinnati QB1 Joe Burrow, the 41-year-old also spoke honestly on Wednesday about not receiving calls about starting jobs.
Will “dumb” teams regret not signing Joe Flacco?
“I think I can get all caught up in all that and say, ‘Why not me’ and be bitter about it,” Flacco explained, per Jay Morrison of Sports Illustrated. “I probably do feel that way. Yeah, it pi—- me off a little bit. But at the same time, I’m very happy to be here. I had a lot of fun with Joe, and Joe’s the guy. And believe me, I wish I was the guy somewhere, and think teams are dumb for not having be that guy.”
Flacco seemed to have at least a little something left in the tank during portions of the 2025 season as he filled in for the injured Burrow. That said, Flacco accumulated an unspectacular record of 1-5 as Cincinnati’s temporary starter before Burrow returned to the lineup. Over those outings, Flacco tossed 13 touchdown passes and only four interceptions.
“I went into the offseason hoping I’d have multiple options and have to make a really big decision,” Flacco added during his comments.
The New York Jets, Atlanta Falcons, Minnesota Vikings and Arizona Cardinals are among teams that could have given Flacco a chance to compete for a starting job. Instead, they all went in different directions regarding their quarterback situations.
Meanwhile, the Pittsburgh Steelers seem confident that Aaron Rodgers will return to be their starter for another season.
Joe Flacco reveals “the hardest thing” about re-signing with Bengals
“The hardest thing for me is probably coming to grips with the fact that I might not play,” Flacco admitted, per Geoff Hobson of the Bengals’ website. “I felt like I had to be careful with some certain decisions. I don’t want to be in another situation where I’m going and playing four games like I did last year in Cleveland. I was a little bit nervous about that for whatever reason, and kind of getting thrown under the bus. I think there was a time to be that guy, but I don’t know if I was willing to do that. It just felt right in the gut.”
If Flacco plays in meaningful games later this year, it will likely be because he was traded or because Burrow becomes unable to start for some reason.