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Joe Flacco may be 41 years old, but he still thinks he has plenty left in the tank.
The Super Bowl XLVII champion signed a one-year deal with the Cincinnati Bengals to be Joe Burrow’s backup, but he wants a lot more than that.
“Not being one of those guys that has to sign somewhere, yeah, it kind of annoys me,” Flacco said.
Joe Flacco of the Cincinnati Bengals throws a pass against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the first quarter of the game at Paycor Stadium on October 16, 2025 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
He then added a parting shot on nearly every team in the league.
“And believe me, I wish I was the guy somewhere, and I think teams are dumb because they don’t have me to be that guy,” he said.
Flacco started last season for the Cleveland Browns and was their Week 1 quarterback, but with two rookies in Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders in the wings, the writing was on the wall.
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)
Cleveland traded him to Cincinnati after Burrow suffered a serious toe injury and he had some success. Flacco played well despite going 1-5 as a starter with the Bengals. He threw for at least 200 yards in four of his six starts, and the Bengals’ offense averaged more than 27 points per game. match.
But with his success, despite his desire to be a starter, it’s a nice consolation prize.
“I feel like I have unfinished business. That’s part of the reason I’m here and still playing and doing all that stuff…” he said. “I had a lot of fun with Joe, and Joe is the guy.”
Flacco, who was the Super Bowl MVP with the Baltimore Ravens in the 2012 season, has played for the Broncos, Jets, Eagles, Jets again, Browns, Colts, Browns again and Bengals.
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Flacco (16) throws a pass against the Chicago Bears in the second quarter at Paycor Stadium on Nov. 2, 2025. (Katie Stratman/Imagn Images)
He has thrown for 48,176 yards, 272 touchdowns and 172 interceptions in 19 seasons. He is 10-6 in the playoffs with 3,530 yards passing, 26 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.
