Joe Flacco is back. The Super Bowl winner with the Ravens who’s bounced around the league as a backup and spot starter over the past few years just re-signed with the Cincinnati Bengals, returning for his 19th NFL season to back up Joe Burrow.
Flacco is one of the most reliable backups in the league — it was just a few years ago that he led a shorthanded Browns team to the playoffs despite being in and out of the starting lineup throughout the year.
“I love the [Bengals’] building,” Flacco said before he signed. “I enjoyed being there, and I’m excited about being back with the fellas.”
“I don’t know what Plan A was. It’s tough to kind of say exactly what that looked like, so you kind of just have to go with the flow a little bit,” said Flacco. “I have good feelings there. The hardest thing for me is probably coming to grips with the fact that I might not play.”
Cincinnati Bengals QB Joe Flacco on Why He Returned in 2026
GettyCINCINNATI, OHIO – NOVEMBER 23: Joe Flacco #16 of the Cincinnati Bengals warms up prior to a game against the New England Patriots at Paycor Stadium on November 23, 2025 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
“I felt like I had to be careful with some certain decisions,” Flacco continued. “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.”
“To a certain extent. I think you have to [decide with your gut],” he said about why he returned to Cincinnati. “There are reasons you feel those things. I think when you do go with some of those feelings, you’re more likely to be happy with how things turn out, no matter what. As opposed to when you go against it, there’s a possibility of working out well. But if it doesn’t happen exactly as you maybe envision the best-case scenario, then you might be kicking yourself. Like saying, ‘You know what? I had a gut feeling, and I went against it.’ I think when you go with it, you have a way easier time living with certain things.”
Cincinnati Bengals QB Joe Flacco on Being a Backup
“When you look at a backup position, it was a little bit of everything,” said Flacco. “[Bengals] Coaches, players, specifically receivers, but not just them. I had such a good time with everybody on the team. Plus, Zac and Brad and Pitch. Those guys were all positive thoughts when I was thinking about going back. It’s not just one thing, as always. It was the overall experience and the overall building.”
“I think the thing that will best suit [the Bengals] is to have that big picture and that ultimate goal,” Flacco said. “But, ultimately, what I think will suit us best is narrowing our focus a little bit to more individual parts of the season.”
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