Every offseason, the assumption is that Joe Flacco is finally going to retire, but after signing a contract with the Cincinnati Bengals on Tuesday afternoon, he will come back for at least one more year. There are worse jobs in the world than being Joe Burrow’s backup quarterback, so it isn’t hard to see why he would want to return to Cincinnati and work behind the superstar. Unsurprisingly, it’s a one-year deal for the veteran, which will bring him $6 million with the potential for that to rise to $9 million with incentives, according to Jeremy Fowler via X, formerly Twitter.
Flacco joined the Bengals in 2025 after Burrow’s injury depleted the team’s quarterback depth. While he struggled in his tenure with the Cleveland Browns, the gunslinger had a resurgence with the Bengals, throwing for 13 touchdowns with just four interceptions. If Burrow does go down with an injury again this season, the organization clearly trusts Flacco to step in.
The Bengals signed Josh Johnson earlier this offseason, leading everyone to assume Flacco’s time in Cincinnati was over. However, with the quarterback market not going Flacco’s way, the veteran decided to compete for the backup role. He originally wanted to find a team where he could be the starter this season.
Cincinnati now has some options after signing Flacco. He will compete for a job in training camp and get some preseason reps. If another team’s quarterback goes down, the Bengals can accrue an asset by trading for him and making him their starter. It’s the best of both worlds for both parties: the Bengals get some insurance in their facility, while Joe Flacco can have an open audition to be a potential starter for the other 31 teams.
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