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The Cincinnati Bengals are desperate to save their season.
After Jake Browning lost each of his first three starts following Joe Burrow’s injury, the Bengals acquired Joe Flacco from the Cleveland Browns.
The teams announced the deal later Tuesday.
Flacco was recently benched by Cleveland in place of Dillon Gabriel, and with the Bengals’ quarterback situation, it became apparent that Flacco might be expendable.
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Cleveland Browns quarterback Joe Flacco (15) throws during the second half of an NFL football game against the Detroit Lions, Sunday, Sept. 28, 2025, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
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In four games this season, Flacco completed 58.1% of his passes for 815 yards, two touchdowns and six interceptions.
Browning took the place of Burrow following his turf toe injury in Week 2, which will cause him to be out until at least December. He threw for 241 yards and two touchdowns in his first game of the season (against three picks) but threw for only 265 yards in his next two combined.
Browning bounced back against the Detroit Lions on Sunday with 251 yards, three touchdowns and three more picks, but it was not enough in their 37-24 loss.
Joe Flacco of the Cleveland Browns looks to throw the ball against the Green Bay Packers at Huntington Bank Field on Sept. 21, 2025 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Jason Miller/Getty Images)
Cincinnati is 2-3 on the season after missing the playoffs last year, but it does not appear that their defense has improved much. In fact, it might be worse.
After allowing 25.5 points per game last season, they are allowing 31.2 this year, the third-worst mark behind the New York Jets and Baltimore Ravens.
This now makes Shedeur Sanders the backup quarterback in Cleveland – despite Gabriel being named the starter, Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski had named Flacco the backup.
The move figures to make Flacco the starter in Cincinnati, but nothing is yet official. The current backup with Burrow’s injury is Brett Rypien.
Cleveland Browns quarterback Joe Flacco (15) and quarterback Shedeur Sanders (12) look downfield during NFL training camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus, Wednesday, July 30, 2025, in Berea, Ohio. (Jeff Lange/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)
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Things are not getting much easier for the Bengals, who travel to Green Bay this weekend to face the Packers before hosting the Pittsburgh Steelers the following Thursday.
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