Even at age 41, with an aspirational NFL career, Joe Flacco was unhappy with his new situation initially.

The veteran quarterback is returning for his 19th season in the league but called out franchises for not giving him the starting position.

“Believe me, I wish I was a guy somewhere. And I think teams are dumb for not having me be that guy. But at the same time, I'm very happy to be here,” he said hours after he landed his new job.

On Wednesday, news broke out that Flacco has signed a one-year deal with the Cincinnati Bengals, reportedly worth $6 million but can go up to $9 million.

He will resume last year’s role, franchise quarterback Joe Burrow’s backup, and is grateful. But he also believes that other franchises, especially the Cleveland Browns, missed out by passing him.

While his statement could be outlandish, it is not entirely baseless.

The former Super Bowl MVP has had an illustrious career and proved he is reliable to this day. After the Browns traded him to the Bengals for a fifth-round pick, he started in six games while QB1 Joe Burrow dealt with his injured toe. 

And he did well. Flacco threw 13 touchdowns and only four interceptions for 1,664 yards. He completed 61.7% of his passes and played his first Pro Bowl with a 41.0 QBR. But despite his effort, the Bengals went 1-5 in a 6-11 season and earned the third rank in the AFC North.

But even then, they were better than the Browns. Quarterbacks Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel scored seven touchdowns each for 1,400 yards and 937 yards, respectively. And the franchise ended the season with a 5-12 record after a 4-13 record in the previous one.

But Just How Important Was Joe Flacco to the Browns?

The Browns’ quarterback crisis reached its pinnacle last year, and they have yet to decide who will start in 2026.

Looking at them now, it is difficult to believe that the Browns were once a team that reached the playoffs. But they did in 2023, the third time they played postseason, and Flacco was an integral part.

He completed 60.3 percent of his passes and threw 13 touchdowns for 1,616 yards. 

Flacco is still as competitive as ever, especially having played in many winning teams. He was drafted in 2008 by the Baltimore Ravens, and he played with the New York Jets, the Indianapolis Colts, and the Denver Broncos, too. 

With Flacco with the Bengals again, will the 2026 season prove to be better than the last one? After all, he has faith in himself, but do you? What are your thoughts? Tell us in the comments.

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Written by

Akanksha Biradar

Edited by

Kalp Thaker