The Cincinnati Bengals made a quarterback move in an attempt to save a spiraling season.
The Bengals acquired quarterback Joe Flacco in a trade with the Cleveland Browns on Tuesday, the teams announced. The trade is a swap of Day 3 2026 draft picks with a fifth going to Cleveland for a sixth and Flacco.
NFL Network Insiders Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero initially reported the deal.
Flacco started the first four games in Cleveland, completing 58.1% of 160 pass attempts for 815 passing yards with two touchdowns and six interceptions. He was benched in favor of rookie Dillon Gabriel ahead of Week 5.
Now, Flacco is moving down I-71 to the Queen City.
The trade marks the first between the Browns and Bengals since Cleveland's return to the NFL in 1999. In 2017, the clubs attempted to consummate a trade of Cincinnati QB A.J. McCarron, but delayed paperwork nixed the swap.
What does the trade mean for the Bengals?
The Bengals had to make some sort of move after another dismal showing on Sunday by Jake Browning, who has gone 0-3 as a starter in place of an injured Joe Burrow.
Cincinnati finally got off to a good start under Zac Taylor, going 2-0 to open the season. However, Burrow's Week 2 toe injury sent the season careering off a cliff.
In three starts, Browning has gone 59-of-92 passing for 516 yards with four TDs and five INTs. Most of that production came in the second half of Sunday’s home loss to Detroit, after Browning's turnovers put Cincy in a massive deficit. At certain points, Browning simply looked lost, made ill-advised throws and threw passes way too far off target.
When defenders look like the intended targets more than a handful of times over three weeks, something's got to give.
In Browning's first two starts this season, the Bengals scored a grand total of 13 points. They trailed 28-3 in Week 5 before three fourth-quarter TDs made the stat sheet look not so gruesome. No offense with Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Chase Brown should be so inept.
That fourth quarter wasn't enough lipstick for Taylor to stick with Browning.
The question is whether Flacco represents a better solution at this stage.
The 40-year-old quarterback has been a turnover machine. Only Geno Smith (9) and Browning (8) have more INTs than Flacco this season. The veteran currently ranks dead last in passer rating after Week 5 at 60.3 -- league average is 93.7.
One issue for Flacco will be a struggling Bengals offensive line. Cincinnati's offensive linemen have allowed 87 QB pressures this season, per Next Gen Stats. Flacco struggled under pressure in Cleveland, throwing four of his INTs under duress, per Pro Football Focus.
On the positive side, the Bengals are getting a veteran who has been through it all. Taking a shot at adding experience under center is worth the price of dropping one round on Day 3 of the draft.
The AFC North is in woeful shape. Every club has a negative point differential through Week 5. The 3-1 Steelers sit atop the division and haven't exactly looked like world-beaters (-2 point differential). At 2-3, Cincinnati is still within reach. If Flacco can keep them afloat in hopes that Burrow can return for the stretch run, it's a shot worth taking.
The Bengals take on Green Bay in Week 6. Flacco helped lead the Browns to a win over the Packers in Week 3. This time around, he won't have the Cleveland defense there to aid a miraculous comeback, however.
Cincinnati also released QBs Brett Rypien and Mike White on Tuesday.
What does the trade mean for Cleveland?
Head coach Kevin Stefanski is going with an all-rookie QB setup.
The Browns' quarterback room began with Kenny Pickett and Flacco before Cleveland drafted Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders. Now, both veterans have been shipped out of town.
Benching Flacco for Gabriel in Week 5 was the first indicator that the Browns were going to find out what they have in their rookies. Trading Flacco highlights the plan in bold.
In his first start, Gabriel tossed two TD passes while completing 57.6% of 33 attempts and didn't turn the ball over. It was mostly a dink-and-dunk operation, but the rookie didn't seem too overwhelmed for the moment. His mobility also gives the Browns a more lively operation. The hope in Cleveland is that the third-round pick can build on his initial outing as the season progresses.
Upon making the quarterback change, there was some criticism of keeping Sanders as QB3 behind Flacco. Now that the impediment is gone. The fifth-round pick will move into the backup role. If Gabriel stumbles as defenses get more tape, he could get a shot at starting.
At 1-4, the Browns are already at the point where they need to evaluate both rookie signal-callers to see where they stand for the future. No longer having Flacco in the room eliminates any temptation that might have otherwise presented itself.
Oh, and we should also mention that Deshaun Watson remains in Cleveland rehabbing his latest Achilles injury, though it is unlikely he plays this season.