Let's be honest, when the news broke that Joe Flacco, at 41, was signing a one-year, $6 million deal with the Bengals, a lot of us probably did a double-take. Six million dollars for a backup quarterback who'll be old enough to run for president in a few years? It feels like a lot, especially for a team that just shelled out big money to keep Tee Higgins and Orlando Brown Jr. But peel back the layers, and you see a move that makes a strange kind of sense for Cincinnati, even if it carries a significant risk.
Flacco's resume speaks for itself, particularly last season. He stepped in for the Browns in Week 13 and, against all odds, led them to a 4-1 record as a starter, throwing for 1,616 yards and 13 touchdowns in just five regular-season games. That's not just "good for his age" production; that's legitimate, high-level quarterback play that earned him the AP Comeback Player of the Year award. He threw for over 300 yards in four straight games, something only two other quarterbacks did in 2023. Real talk: the guy still has an arm. He showed it against the Texans in the Wild Card game, even in a losing effort, completing 34 of 46 passes for 307 yards. The Bengals saw that, and they saw what a veteran presence can do for a locker room, especially one with Super Bowl aspirations.
Here's the thing: this signing is less about Flacco being the next coming of Ken Anderson and more about him being the most expensive, most experienced insurance policy in the NFL. Joe Burrow has a history of injuries. He tore his ACL and MCL in 2020, missed time with a calf strain early in 2023, and then famously suffered a season-ending wrist injury in Week 11 against the Ravens. That injury derailed what many thought was a Super Bowl-bound team. Jake Browning, bless his heart, played admirably, throwing for 1,936 yards and 12 touchdowns in 13 games, but he's not Flacco. He doesn't have a Super Bowl XLVII MVP trophy in his case, nor has he played in 180 NFL games. The Bengals are betting that if Burrow goes down again, Flacco gives them a better chance to stay afloat, maybe even make a playoff push, than any other available backup. It’s a steep price for a backup, but the cost of missing the playoffs with a healthy roster *except* for the QB is even steeper.
My hot take? Six million is a bargain if Flacco keeps them competitive for even a few games. If Burrow misses significant time again and Flacco comes in, throws for 300 yards a game, and keeps them in the playoff hunt, that money is well spent. Think about it: the Bengals offense is loaded. Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and a solid offensive line. Flacco proved in Cleveland he can run an NFL offense with talented receivers. He's not going to win games with his legs, but he can still sling it. The biggest concern, obviously, is durability for a 41-year-old. But the Bengals clearly believe the upside outweighs the risk. They watched their season evaporate last year when Burrow went down. They're not letting that happen again without a fight.
I predict Flacco will play at least three games for the Bengals this season, and they'll go 2-1 in those starts, proving this move was worth every penny.