Bengals Player Profile: Joe Flacco now has time to prepare as Cincinnati’s elite backup quarterback
The Cincinnati Bengals didn’t prioritize bringing many of their free agents back this year. Joe Flacco was a clear and obvious exception.
We’re 23 days away from the Cincinnati Bengals’ preseason finale against the Philadelphia Eagles. The end of the preseason and final cuts we’ll be here before we know it, and every member of the Bengals’ 90-man roster will have a profile page by then. Check out previous player profiles here.
The next player in the series is set for his first full season in Cincinnati after being traded in the middle of last year.
Joe Flacco Player Profile
Age: 41
Year: 19th
Position: Quarterback
College: Delaware
Jersey Number: 16
Joe Flacco was originally selected No. 18 overall in the first round of the 2008 NFL Draft by the Baltimore Ravens. Prior to the NFL, Flacco spent five years at the collegiate level, starting out at Pitt (2003-04) before transferring to Delaware (2005-07) and becoming one of the most prolific Blue Hens in program history.
Bengals fans know the story of Flacco well. He was the Ravens’ starting QB for a decade and was replaced by Lamar Jackson in the middle of his 11th and final season with the club. Baltimore won its second Super Bowl with Flacco under center in 2012 when he played his best football during the postseason. His career against Cincinnati wasn’t as clean, winning just nine of 20 starts before becoming a backup/spot starter for the Denver Broncos, New York Jets, Cleveland Browns, Indianapolis Colts, and then back to the Browns.
The Bengals traded for Flacco early last season to start while Joe Burrow was recovering from turf toe. He started six games and threw for 1,664 yards, 13 touchdowns, and four interceptions while completing 61.7% of his passes. Cincinnati only won one of his starts as its defense gave up an average of 34 points per game during that stretch. He acclimated really quick and proved capable of playing like a starter again, prompting the Bengals to bring him back as Burrow’s backup for this season.
Contract details
Flacco re-signed with the Bengals on a one-year, $6,000,000 free agent deal. His base salary for 2026 is the minimum $1,300,000 for his level of experience, and he’s already earned a signing bonus of $4,000,000. He can earn up to $700,000 in per game roster bonuses this season as well, bringing his maximum cash figure for the year to $6 million. Cincinnati included two void years in his deal, breaking up his $4 million signing bonus into thirds. This means his salary cap hit for the season is just $3,333,333.
Roster outlook
The Bengals didn’t prioritize bringing many of their free agents back this year. Flacco was a clear exception. They traded with a division rival to see if he can keep the offense afloat without Burrow, and he did just that without any preparation time. It made all the sense in the world to retain him for another year, knowing he can operate the system. He’ll have a full offseason and training camp under his belt should he need to do it again this year.
Cincinnati would prefer to never have Flacco throw a pass this year, but he’s here if he’s needed.
Roster odds: 100%
