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Joe Flacco of the Bengals on Dec. 28, 2025.
Credit: Ben Jackson/Getty
NEED TO KNOW
- Joe Flacco is back with the Cincinnati Bengals for another season as a backup quarterback for his 19th in the NFL
- The 41-year-old veteran said that he thinks other teams are "dumb" for not selecting him for a starting role
- Flacco was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in 2008, and went on to win Super Bowl XLVII and the MVP title
Joe Flacco is airing his frustrations.
While the NFL veteran, 41, will resume his backup quarterback position behind Joe Burrow on the Cincinnati Bengals for the upcoming football, he shared his candid thoughts on other teams passing him up for the starting role.
"Believe me, I wish I was a guy somewhere," Flacco said, referring to the QB1 role during his press conference after signing a one-year contract with the Bengals on Wednesday, March 25. "I think teams are dumb for not having me be that guy, but it is what it is. I'm not going to let them or it get me down."
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Joe Flacco #16 of the Cincinnati Bengals.
Credit: Michael Owens/Getty
He added, "I'm going to be the person I am and just approach football the way I always have."
Flacco, now entering his 19th season in the league, was selected by Baltimore Ravens in the 2008 NFL Draft. During his 11-season tenure as starting quarterback, he was named Rookie of the Year, won Super Bowl XLVII and earned MVP honors.
In 2019, Flacco was traded to the Denver Broncos and started nine games. He then spent time on several other teams, including the New York Jets, Philadelphia Eagles, Cleveland Browns and Indianapolis Colts, before getting traded to the Cincinnati Bengals in 2025 to replace an injured Joe Burrow.
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Joe Burrow of the Bengals sits on the field after being tackled during Jaguars game on Sept. 14, 2025.
Credit: Ian Johnson/Icon Sportswire/Getty
During the recent presser, Flacco made clear that he's still got game left in him, despite being among the oldest active players in the NFL (Aaron Rodgers of the Pittsburgh Steelers has him beat at age 42).
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"I feel like I have unfinished business. It's part of why I'm still here playing and doing all those things. Not being one of those guys to go sign somewhere? Yeah, it pisses me off a little bit — but at the same time I'm very happy to be here," Flacco said of returning to the Bengals as the backup quarterback.
"That's also why I don't see this as the end. That's just not how I'm viewing it in my mind," he continued, saying, "I feel like I can help a team win. Yeah, it may be in a different role here, but I do still think I can help this team win in that role. I had a lot of fun with Joe [Burrow]. Joe's the guy."
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Joe Flacco of the Cleveland Browns greets his family on Sept. 14, 2025.
Credit: Rob Carr/Getty
Flacco stepped up for the Bengals amid Burrow's turf toe injury last fall, making six starts in his absence and winning one of those games. He was also tapped as a replacement in this year's Pro Bowl Games, which marked his debut appearance in his 18-year career.
After Flacco was acquired by the Bengals in October 2025, he spoke with reporters about adjusting to Cincinnati away from his family while his wife, Dana Flacco, and kids continued to reside in New Jersey.
The NFL vet said there have "been challenges with that" because he loves "being around" his wife and their five children: sons Stephen, 13, Daniel, 12, Francis, 10, and Thomas, 7, and a daughter named Evelyn, 9.
"But at the same time, they get in their routine, and they're having a lot of fun back at home," he explained.
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