Bengals bring back 41-year-old Joe Flacco to back up Joe Burrow
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The Cincinnati Bengals added key depth behind Joe Burrow on Wednesday.
The Bengals announced they have re-signed 41-year-old quarterback Joe Flacco to a one-year contract. 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 get 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 the Cleveland Browns benched him after four starts. Burrow was injured at the time and Jake Browning, who was the backup before Flacco arrived, had been disappointed.
Flacco made six starts for the Bengals and played well, even though the team went 1-5 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.
To make Flacco’s performance more impressive, he played for the Bengals with a sprained AC joint in his shoulder.
Flacco was looking to find a starting job in free agency, but when he didn’t get one, he struggled with the reality that he might not play at all.
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Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Flacco warms up before the Steelers game at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh on Nov. 16, 2025. (Charles LeClaire/Image Images)
“I don’t know what Plan A was. It’s hard to say exactly what it was, so you have to go with the flow a little bit,” Flacco said. “I have a good feeling there. The hardest thing for me is probably accepting the fact that I might not be able to play.”
The veteran quarterback didn’t want to repeat 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 some 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 nervous about that for some reason, and they kind of threw me 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. I just felt it in my gut,” Flacco said.
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Bengals quarterback Joe Flacco runs off the field before a field goal attempt against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio, on Oct. 16, 2025. (Sam Greene/The Enquirer/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)
Flacco, at 41, is the oldest player to ever play for the Bengals.
He ranks 14th on the all-time passing yards list and is just 1,824 yards shy of 50,000.
In a perfect world for the Bengals, Flacco never steps on the field because that would mean Burrow stays healthy all season. However, if Burrow is injured, they can be confident that they have a capable backup who can lead the offense at a high level.
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Ryan Canfield is a digital production assistant for News Digital.