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The Cincinnati Bengals added key depth behind Joe Burrow on Wednesday.
The Bengals announced they re-signed 41-year-old quarterback Joe Flacco to a one-year deal. The contract is for $6 million, but is worth up to $9 million with incentives, according to ESPN.
“I love the building,” Flacco told the team’s website. “I enjoyed being there and I’m excited to be back with the guys.”
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Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Flacco warms up before a game against the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, New York on December 7, 2025. (Mark Konezny/Imagn Images)
The Bengals acquired Flacco after he was benched by the Cleveland Browns after four starts. Burrow was injured at the time, and Jake Browning, who was the backup before Flacco arrived, had been underwhelmed.
Flacco made six starts for the Bengals and played well, despite the team posting a 1-5 record in that span. He completed 61.7% of his passes for 1,664 yards with 13 touchdowns and four interceptions, and the Bengals’ offense averaged more than 27 points per game. match.
To make Flacco’s performance more impressive, he played through a sprained AC joint in his shoulder with the Bengals.
Flacco looked to find a starting job in free agency, but after not getting one, he struggled with the reality that he might not play at all.
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Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Flacco (16) warms up before the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on November 16, 2025. (Charles LeClaire/Imagn Images)
“I don’t know what Plan A was. It’s hard to say exactly what it looked like, so you just have to go with the flow a little bit,” Flacco said. “I have good feelings there. The hardest thing for me is probably coming to grips with the fact that I might not play.”
The veteran quarterback didn’t want a repeat of last season with the Browns, when he was benched for rookie Dillon Gabriel after four games.
“I felt like I had to be careful with certain decisions. I don’t want to be in another situation where I have to play four games like I did last year in Cleveland. I was a little bit nervous about that, for whatever reason, and kind of being 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 it,” Flacco said.
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Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Flacco (16) runs down the field before a field goal attempt in the fourth quarter of the NFL Week 7 game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Pittsburgh Steelers at Paycor Stadium in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio, on Oct. 16, 2025. The Bengals won 3133. (Sam Greene/The Enquirer/USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
Flacco, at 41 years old, is the oldest player to ever play for the Bengals.
He is 14th on the all-time passing yards list and just 1,824 yards away from 50,000.
In a perfect world for the Bengals, Flacco never steps on the field because that would mean Burrow stays healthy all season. But if Burrow gets injured, they can count on having a capable backup who can lead the offense at a high level.
