The Cincinnati Bengals are tirelessly trying to right the ship on their season so that they can set up Joe Burrow for a return with the playoffs on the line. Starting the 2025 campaign at 2-0, the Bengals’ season took a turn for the worse when it was revealed that Burrow would miss time with a toe injury. Placed on the injured reserve, Burrow’s timetable for return was set at a minimum of three months.

And since Burrow has gone down, the Bengals’ have been in quarterback purgatory, rolling with backup quarterback Jake Browning for the next few games, but after the offense faltered en route to three straight losses, the Bengals acquired Joe Flacco from the Cleveland Browns to start for them in the interim. Flacco has played well since joining the Bengals, but with Burrow now back at practice and eyeing a return on Thanksgiving, it is inevitable that Flacco will be benched. When asked about that, Flacco’s answer showed why he is such a well respected veteran in the NFL.

Flacco Downplays Looming Benching

At 40-years-old, Flacco has shown that he can still play high level football, throwing for 1,254 yards, 11 touchdowns and only two interceptions while having a 109.4 passer rating since joining the Bengals. His numbers have been exceptional and he has certainly rejuvenated the Bengals offense, but with Burrow being the franchise quarterback, his return means that Flacco will return to being a backup in his 18th NFL season. Still, Flacco is focused on the present and doing his job until told otherwise.

“I don’t know, I think backups probably do it a good amount where they know like, ‘Hey, this guy’s coming back, he’s got a three-week injury or whatever it is,’” Flacco said. “I’m honestly not really thinking about it. It’s not really a part of my process. I really don’t care. It’s this week, and that’s all that matters. And I think to think about that stuff would just be a distraction. So it’s not really something I’m worried about. Like I said, I’m just worried about doing my job, and this week that’s going out and playing against Pittsburgh.”

Flacco may not have the accolades of a legendary quarterback, but his leadership– and his ability to perform when called upon– have been major reasons why Flacco has been able to play 18 seasons at football’s highest level– with a Super Bowl championship and a Super Bowl MVP to show for it.

Will Flacco Be a Distraction when Burrow Returns?

Burrow is a superstar in the league, but Flacco is a relatively big name and has been around a long time. So when Burrow comes back, it is only natural that the question of whether or not having both of them around would create a distraction and prevent the Bengals from reaching their full potential. But Flacco is not concerned about that, citing the benefits of sharing a room with a top notch signal caller like Burrow that has plenty of experience in head coach Zac Taylor’s offense.

“Listen, I think you can probably make too much about that honestly,” Flacco said. “I mean, listen, we’re just two quarterbacks sitting in a room, and it’s not like we’re doing anything groundbreaking in there. We’re two quarterbacks in a room just like any other two quarterbacks for the most part. I think, like I said, for me, still being new in the offense, and it’s not just him, it’s also Jake [Browning]. I’m still at the point where you’re able to kind of see the operation of things and kind of bounce little questions like that off those guys. I think that’s still the biggest thing.”

“But if I can kinda understand where they’re coming from, it makes it a little easier for me,” Flacco added. “… (Burrow)’s been great to have in the room just because he’s been operating in this offense and actually been out there doing it for however many years now. So it’s always nice to be able to see … the operation of how he may do things.”

But Burrow is still not quite ready to return so until then, the Bengals are Flacco’s team. Coming off of a bye week, the Bengals will return to action on Sunday, Nov. 16 when they hit the road to take on the Pittsburgh Steelers. Kickoff is at 1 p.m. (EST) and will air on CBS in select markets.