Flacco tested free agency before landing on the decision that his best option was Cincinnati
“Being honest, like maybe going into the offseason, I wouldn’t say this is the exact situation that I want, so maybe it is somewhat of a surprise to sign here early, but I think as the offseason kind of progressed,” Flacco said. “I do think I’ve been able to look at a couple different situations and say I don’t know, is that exactly what I want, this being one of them, and ultimately, just kind of looking in my wife’s eyes and trusting how I felt in my gut, I just felt like this was a good place to be.”
Flacco said he felt like Cincinnati was the best fit because of the teammates and coaches he would have a chance to continue working with, but he also believed it is an organization that could compete for championships and sincerely wanted him to be a part of it.
The Bengals had acquired Flacco last year in a trade from Cleveland in Week 6, and he went 1-5 in his six starts before Burrow returned from turf toe surgery to finish the season. Despite the losing record and Cincinnati ultimately missing the playoffs, Flacco played some of his best football during that stretch.
That gave him the hope of finding a starting role somewhere this offseason, but several younger veterans also hit the market and perhaps left Flacco with fewer options than expected.
“Maybe part of that does motivate me to still do what I’m doing,” Flacco said. “Listen, I probably do feel that way. I feel like I have unfinished business. That’s part of why I’m still here and playing and doing all those things. And not being one of those guys to go sign somewhere (as a starter), yeah, it pisses me off a little bit, but at the same time, I’m very happy to be here, and that’s also why I don’t see this as the end, like that’s just not how I’m viewing it in my mind. I feel like I can help a team win, and, yeah, it may be in a different role here, but I do still think I can help this team win in that role.
“I had a lot of fun with Joe, and Joe’s the guy. And believe me, I wish I was a guy somewhere, and I think teams are dumb for not having me be that guy, but it is what it is, and I’m not going to let them or it get me down. I’m going to be the person I am and just approach football the way I always have.”
Flacco hasn’t been a full-time starter since 2017, his 10th season with the Baltimore Ravens team that drafted him No. 18 overall in 2008. He was replaced by Lamar Jackson midway through the 2018 season, and since then, he’s been chasing opportunities to play with Denver (2019), the New York Jets (2020-22), Cleveland (2023 and 2025) and Indianapolis (2024), before finishing last season in Cincinnati.
In six starts with the Bengals, he completed 158 of 256 passes for 1,664 yards and 13 touchdowns with four interceptions to earn the first Pro Bowl selection of his 18-year NFL career.
Flacco said he did have some other options, but none felt like the right fit. He considered just waiting to see if another opportunity would open up later down the line, but ultimately went with his gut telling him to sign with Cincinnati for a chance to continue working with wide receivers like Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.
“I think it was just a close-knit group of guys, and I think, you know, anytime you’re in a locker room like that, then it can hit you in a certain way, and that’s kind of how this past year was for me,” Flacco said. “I mean, I think I was probably in a type of, I was probably in the headspace to be able to kind of accept that a little bit just because of how crazy last year kind of was for me. So you kind of just start to open yourself up to certain things, nd I think it just happened to be great timing and a great group of guys to kind of resonate with me and make me feel good about the situation.”
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