CINCINNATI — New Bengals quarterback Joe Flacco is trying to hit the ground running after Cleveland traded him to Cincinnati on Tuesday.

The veteran quarterback will start this week in Green Bay against one of the top defenses in the NFL.

Flacco is leaving no stone unturned in his quest to quickly learn the Bengals’ offense. He’s had conversations with star quarterback Joe Burrow, who underwent toe surgery last month and is expected to be out until December.

“I have spoken to Joe and of course, he can definitely help,” Flacco said on Friday. “Just little things that he’s kind of done, or how he’s seen this play or that play, it can kind of help speed up your process a little bit and help you relate it to something that you’ve done in the past.”

Burrow thinks highly of Flacco. He praised the Super Bowl XLVII MVP before the Bengals played the Browns in Week 1.

“I think he throws it better than, No. 1, a lot of people give him credit for,” Burrow said. “And I think he’s one of the more natural throwers of the football that I’ve ever seen. He can spin it with the best of them. He’s got one of the strongest arms of all-time. So he’s going to be able to put the ball when and where he wants to put it.”

Browning Benched

Flacco also praised Jake Browning for how he handled the trade. Browning went 0-3 as the Bengals’ start with Burrow out, which led to Cincinnati’s trade with Cleveland. The Bengals sent a 2026 fifth round pick to the Browns in exchange for Flacco and a 2026 sixth round pick.

The pick swap puts Browning back on the bench and Flacco on the field.

“When you play in this league, you always want to be the guy that’s out there and playing it and the guy behind the center,” Flacco said. “But also you have to keep your own shoulders right, because opportunities come up whenever. To Jake’s credit, you know he’s disappointed and he’s having a tough week, but I think he’s done an awesome job being there for me in the process of preparing for this game, and I think he’s been super helpful in the meeting rooms and even outside the meeting rooms, just someone to talk to and ask questions, so he’s been great.”

For more from Flacco, watch the full press conference below. Subscribe to our YouTube Channel and be sure to check us out on your favorite audio platforms, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Amazon: