After Jake Browning threw three more interceptions in Sunday’s loss to the Detroit Lions, the Bengals at least had to see what they could do to stop the downward spiral. Cincinnati was off to an ugly 2-0 start, but since Browning stepped in for injured Joe Burrow in the second quarter of the Week 2 win against Jacksonville, he has thrown eight interceptions over 15 quarters.
The Bengals have lost three straight heading into this week’s game at Green Bay on Sunday.
According to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, the Bengals internally discussed different options at quarterback but never called the Giants about trading for either Russell Wilson or Jameis Winston, two quarterbacks who were widely speculated to be considered.
Cincinnati waived quarterback Mike White from its practice squad Tuesday morning, leaving the internal candidates down to Rypien and practice squad player Sean Clifford.
Flacco is in his 18th NFL season and he started the first four games for Cleveland, going 1-3 before he was benched for rookie third-round draft pick Dillon Gabriel ahead of the Week 5 game against Minnesota in London.
“Joe is an experienced quarterback with a history of winning,” Taylor said in a press release. “He is a leader with a skill set that will fit our personnel well. He is a gifted passer with a strong arm, and we are excited to have him on our team.”
The veteran Flacco had completed just 58.1 percent of his passes for 815 yards and two touchdowns with six interceptions, but will have arguably better weapons at his disposal in Cincinnati.
Now the concern is how he will operate the Bengals’ offense behind a line that features two rookie guards and has been considered one of the worst in the league the past several years. Flacco isn’t one to roam out of the pocket, and his passer rating under pressure has significantly declined with his rising age.
The deal wasn’t costly for the Bengals, though. Per Spotrac.com, they take on $1.8 million of Flacco’s cap hit and acquire the 2026 sixth-round pick, while Cleveland gets the 2026 fifth-round pick and takes on dead cap hits of $999K in 2025 and $1.4 million in 2026.
Cincinnati retains seven draft picks in 2026 with the swap.
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