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The Cincinnati Bengals made a bold trade on Tuesday, acquiring veteran quarterback Joe Flacco. Cincinnati has been desperate to find an answer at quarterback after Joe Burrow went down with a turf toe injury in Week 2. Backup Jake Browning stepped in to take Burrow’s place, but Browning was a huge disappointment after three starts.
The Bengals acquired Joe Flacco and a sixth-round pick in exchange for a fifth-round pick. This is a rare intra-division trade, and even rarer still at the quarterback position. In fact, this is the first trade between the Bengals and Browns since 1999.
Flacco has seen it all in the NFL and will likely step in for the Bengals at quarterback as soon as possible. He could even play in Week 6 against the Packers.
But Will this trade rescue the season for the Bengals? And what does it mean for the Browns?
Below we will grade Tuesday’s Joe Flacco trade from the perspective of both the Bengals and Browns.
Nothing could be more important for the Bengals than finding a capable quarterback. That alone makes this an incredible trade for them.
It feels like ancient history that Flacco led the Browns to the playoffs back in 2023. He certainly isn’t the same player at 40 years old. However, there’s reason to hope he could do the same for the Bengals in 2025.
Flacco did not play well in Cleveland this season. He managed 815 passing yards with two touchdowns and six interceptions and had an awful 58.1% completion percentage.
But there are a few reasons why Flacco struggled in Cleveland that shouldn’t follow him to Cincinnati.
To start, the Browns have a terrible offense right now. Rookie running back Quinshon Judkins is a rare bright spot on an otherwise poor unit. That made it easy for opposing defenses to shut down Cleveland’s passing game.
Flacco will be surrounded by talent in Cincinnati, with Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins probably the best receiver duo he’s ever played with.
Cleveland also ran the ball a lot after Judkins started showing promise, which gave Flacco fewer opportunities to shine.
No offense Chase Brown, but I don’t think the same thing will happen with the Bengals.
The Bengals should rush to get Flacco into the starting lineup as soon as possible. Every game counts in the NFL, and Cincinnati has little margin for error at 2-3.
Thankfully the AFC is looking much more competitive in 2025 than in past seasons. But it is still a stretch to imagine the Bengals making the playoffs.
I love this trade for the Bengals because it gives them hope for the rest of the regular season. Personally, I’d call this trade worth it for that alone, even if it was guaranteed that Cincinnati would not make the postseason.
The price that Cincinnati paid for Flacco also makes this an excellent deal.
The Bengals will not mind picking one round later during...
