Steelers Now
The Pittsburgh Steelers now know which Cincinnati Bengals quarterback they’ll face in Week 7.
The Cincinnati Bengals shocked the NFL on Tuesday when they made an intra-division trade with the Cleveland Browns for veteran quarterback Joe Flacco. The Bengals have since revealed when they plan to have their new signal caller start, too.
According to ESPN insider Adam Schefter, Cincinnati is wasting no time as head coach Zac Taylor named Flacco the team’s starter for its Week 6 matchup against the Green Bay Packers.
Bengals HC Zac Taylor said Joe Flacco will start Sunday at Green Bay.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 8, 2025
That means, barring a very ugly performance, the Pittsburgh Steelers will face Flacco next week when they head to Cincinnati on Thursday night.
The Steelers are quite familiar with Flacco, who began his NFL career as the Baltimore Ravens first-round pick in the 2008 NFL Draft. He had immediate success, too, leading the Ravens to the AFC championship game as a rookie.
Baltimore would eventually lose to Pittsburgh, which went on to defeat the Arizona Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII, but it was an impressive start for what was to come.
Flacco played 11 seasons for the Ravens, winning Super Bowl XLVII and earning the game’s MVP honors.
However, he hasn’t been the same player since leaving Baltimore in 2019. Flacco has since had stints with the Denver Broncos (2019), New York Jets (2020-22), Philadelphia Eagles (2021), Browns (2023, 2025) and Indianapolis Colts (2024).
Flacco did have a resurgence to his career in Cleveland, though. In 2023, he led the team to the playoffs while throwing for 1,616 yards, 13 touchdowns and eight interceptions and was named the league’s Comeback Player of the Year.
His second stint with the Browns this season has not gone the same, though, as he threw for just 815 yards, two touchdowns and six interceptions through the first four weeks. The Bengals are surely hoping they get the 2023 version of Flacco.
Only time will tell if that will happen, but the Steelers will likely be keeping an eye on how the 40-year-old looks this week in preparation for next.
A native of Voorhees Township, New Jersey, Flacco has thrown for 46,512 yards, 259 touchdowns and 168 interceptions in his professional career.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Bengals Reveal Starting QB Ahead Week 7 Matchup vs. Steelers
