Bengals get good news amid Joe Flacco free agency rumor originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Cincinnati Bengals ended the 2025 season with a disappointing loss to the Cleveland Browns, but during the loss, the Bengals sent out backup veteran quarterback Joe Flacco to execute a quarterback sneak, which he got.
He came off the field all smiles, laughing with his teammates and overall, having a good time. Flacco was beloved by his teammates and the fanbase since he arrived, and that moment was a great encapsulation of that.
With Flacco hitting free agency, there are some questions about his NFL future. James Rapien of Bengals Talk has some good news for the Bengals, as there’s a chance Flacco returns for the 2026 season based on this rumor.
Bengals get good news on Joe Flacco this free agency
“Flacco is a free agent,” Rapien reports, “but sounds open to returning to Cincinnati under the right circumstances.”
The soon-to-be 41-year-old quarterback isn’t shutting down a return to the Bengals just yet. Rapien’s report suggests Flacco is open to the possibility of coming back, as long as the right circumstances are present.
He might want a better chance to compete for a starting job, with a team like the Miami Dolphins, Arizona Cardinals, or New York Jets. But if he’s including the Bengals in his shortlist, then there’s some hope.
Flacco went 1-5 for the Bengals, but he had 1,664 passing yards with 13 touchdowns and four interceptions for a solid 91.0 passer rating.
The Bengals being able to bring him back on a one-year deal to back up Joe Burrow would be the best-case scenario. After the Jake Browning disaster in 2025, the Bengals need to make sure they have better backup options in 2026.
Burrow hasn’t been the most healthy in his career, and having Flacco ready to start a few weeks would be ideal for the Bengals.
While he has plenty of reason to search for starting opportunities, Rapiens report gives Bengals and their fans some hope that he could decide to come back to Cincinnati for his age 41 season.
