Bengals’ Joe Flacco indifferent about Joe Burrow’s return to practice: ‘I don’t really care’

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow has returned to the practice field, but veteran backup Joe Flacco seems indifferent to the news.

Burrow returned to practice on Monday, opening a 21-day window for the star to return to the lineup, but Burrow’s return to the field was not a concern for Flacco.

“I don’t know, I think backups probably do it a lot when they know, ‘Hey, this guy’s coming back, he’s got a three-week injury or whatever,'” Flacco said, according to The Cincinnati Enquirer.

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Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Flacco runs off the field before a field goal attempt in the fourth quarter of a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Paycor Stadium in downtown Cincinnati on Oct. 16, 2025. (Sam Greene/The Enquirer/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)

“Honestly, I’m not thinking about it. It’s not really part of my process. I don’t really care. It’s this week, and that’s all that matters. And I think thinking about those things would just be a distraction. So, it’s not really something I worry about. Like I said, I’m just worried about doing my job, and this week that’s going out and playing against Pittsburgh.”

Burrow suffered a toe injury in September that forced backup quarterback Jake Browning into the lineup. Browning struggled and the team acquired Flacco from the Cleveland Browns to take over.

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Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow was unable to put weight on his ankle after being injured against the Jaguars. (Image)

Flacco, who struggled with the Browns before being benched for Dillon Gabriel, filled in admirably for Burrow. In four starts with the Bengals, Flacco completed 64.7% of his passes for 1,254 yards with 11 touchdowns and two interceptions.

By comparison, in Flacco’s four starts with the Browns, he completed just 58.1% of his passes for 815 yards with two touchdowns and six interceptions.

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Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Flacco throws a pass against the Chicago Bears during the second quarter at Paycor Stadium on Nov. 2, 2025. (Katie Stratman/Image Images)

While Flacco has played well, the Bengals are just 1-3 in his four starts due to their porous defense. The Bengals are 3-6 and need to get hot down the stretch to have a chance to make the playoffs.

Their next game is a key divisional matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers (5-4) on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.

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