Joe Flacco is eyeing another starting job — but he isn’t necessarily in a hurry to flee Cincinnati.
The veteran quarterback is set to hit the free market on Monday, and he’ll be looking for a chance to “at least compete” for another starting job in his 19th season, according to a Sunday report from NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
Should his market remain limited to backup roles, said Pelissero, Flacco would “strongly consider” returning to the Bengals after last year’s mid-season trade.
Flacco began his age-40 season with the Browns before getting sent to Cincinnati in October to fill in for the injured Joe Burrow, who missed three months of the 2025 campaign with a severe case of turf toe.
The former Super Bowl MVP impressed as the first-string signal-caller, completing 61.7 percent of his passes for 1,664 yards, 13 touchdowns, and four interceptions across six starts (nine appearances) for the Bengals — holding the line until Burrow returned in Week 13.
After the season, Flacco earned the first Pro Bowl nod of his illustrious career.
It’s possible that the former Ravens star rides that momentum into another starting gig, offering stopgap flexibility and veteran leadership to franchises still looking for a long-term solution under center.
Such opportunities could materialize for Flacco, as the current free-agent market — headlined by Kyler Murray, Aaron Rodgers, Malik Willis, and likely Tua Tagovailoa — is far from stacked.
Save for presumed first overall pick Fernando Mendoza, the 2026 draft class isn’t necessarily brimming with arm talent, either
But if supporting roles are all that Flacco fields, he may be most comfortable sticking around the Queen City.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
