The Cincinnati Bengals’ season has ended in disappointment for the third consecutive season. However, at least on this occasion fans can blame injuries for the season going the way it did. Head coach Zac Taylor agreed with injuries derailing the Bengals season. He said, “I think what you were missing was your highest paid player on offense and defense, and that’s challenging holistically.”
Fortunately for Cincinnati, at least this offseason won’t feature speculation on Tee Higgins possibly departing. After signing an extension prior to the 2025 season, Higgins set a new career-high with 11 receiving touchdowns. That led him to his first-ever Pro Bowl selection where he will join Ja’Marr Chase. Now, the Bengals have announced their quarterback will also be joining the wide receiver duo.
Cincinnati Bengals Quarterback Joe Flacco Named to the Pro Bowl
Had you asked Bengals fans before the season whether their quarterback was going to make the Pro Bowl roster, many would have likely said yes. However, no one could have expected that quarterback to be anyone other than Joe Burrow and let alone someone who was not on the roster during Week 1. That is exactly what has transpired. Bengals backup quarterback Joe Flacco has been named to the Pro Bowl after starting 10 games this season, six of which came with the Bengals. It marks the first Pro Bowl selection for the former Super Bowl MVP.
Flacco’s journey this season was unexpected. He started the season as the quarterback for the AFC North rival Cleveland Browns, but after throwing six interceptions to only two touchdowns, the Browns benched him in favor of rookie Dillon Gabriel. Then, with the Bengals offense struggling to replace Joe Burrow’s production, Cincinnati acquired Flacco via trade. Division rival head coach Mike Tomlin was surprised at the trade, saying, “It doesn’t make sense to trade a (starting) quarterback… to a division opponent.”
With the Bengals, Flacco thrived once again. The 41-year-old quarterback averaged over 270 passing yards per game, which would have put him on pace for 4,600 passing yards in 17 games. That mark would have been second in the league, behind only MVP favorite Matthew Stafford. Despite this, the Bengals won only one of his six starts as Cincinnati’s defense struggled to generate stops.
Joe Flacco’s Bengals Experience
Not only was the trade good for the Bengals offense, but it seems to have re-energized the veteran quarterback. Following the season, Flacco gave some of his Bengals teammates signed jerseys with a personalized message. He was then asked about his relationship with head coach Zac Taylor. He said, “My experience with him has been unbelievable. I feel so lucky to have had that happen. I think he’s awesome at what he does. This is a hard business and there’s a lot of times when it doesn’t go the way you want it to. I mean honestly, for 31 teams it goes the way you don’t want it to. I know this is more disappointing than that, but he’s really good at what he does. Guys have a lot of respect for him, no doubt about it.”
Flacco has already declared that he is not retiring this offseason, but he is set to be a free agent. He will likely look for a starting job elsewhere; however, if that does not materialize, it would not be surprising to see him return to Cincinnati in 2026.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Bengals Announce News on Quarterback After Season appeared first on Heavy Sports.