Cincinnati Bengals to trade for Cleveland Browns quarterback Joe Flacco
Cincinnati Bengals to trade for Cleveland Browns quarterback Joe Flacco
The Cincinnati Bengals agreed to trade for Cleveland Browns quarterback Joe Flacco, the teams announced Tuesday. Flacco started four games this season.
Quarterback Joe Flacco started four games this season for the Cleveland Browns. File Photo by David Tulis/UPI
Oct. 7 (UPI) -- The Cincinnati Bengals agreed to trade for Cleveland Browns quarterback Joe Flacco, the teams announced Tuesday.
Flacco, who started four games this season and was benched last week, will join a Bengals quarterbacks room that also includes Jake Browning. The Bengals also released quarterback Brett Rypien, who served as Browning's backup in Week 5, in a corresponding transaction.
"Joe is an experienced quarterback with a history of winning," Bengals coach Zac Taylor said in a news release. "He is a leader with a skill set that will fit our personnel well.
"He is a gifted passer with a strong arm, and we are excited to have him on our team."
The Browns agreed to send Flacco and a sixth-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft to the Bengals in exchange for a fifth-round pick in the swap, which is pending a physical.
Joe Flacco signed a one-year deal with the Cleveland Browns this off-season, but was benched last week in favor of rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel. File Photo by Aaron Josefczyk/UPI
The move came just a day after Taylor told reporters that the Bengals would "evaluate everything," when asked if Browning would start in Week 6.
"We'll see where it goes," Taylor said. "Like all personnel decisions, we've got to evaluate it. Jake has been very accountable for how the [Week 5] game went for him. I've got to be accountable for how the game went for me as well."
Veteran quarterback Joe Flacco (L) threw two touchdown passes and six interceptions through four starts this season for the Cleveland Browns. File Photo by David Tulis/UPI
Browning threw for a season-high 251 yards and three scores in Week 5, but also logged three interceptions in the loss to the Detroit Lions on Sunday in Cincinnati.
"We have to take care of the football," Taylor said. "That's the No. 1 thing, eliminating the turnovers."
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Jake Browning threw eight interceptions through four appearances this season. File Photo by Archie Carpenter/UPI
Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor has yet to publicly commit to a starting quarterback in Week 6. File Photo by Steve Nesius/UPI
The Bengals, who lost starting quarterback Joe Burrow to turf toe in Week 2, also have Sean Clifford on their practice squad. They announced earlier Tuesday that they released veteran backup Mike White from their practice squad.
Flacco's departure from Cleveland will likely result in Shedeur Sanders being promoted as the Browns' second-string quarterback, behind fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel. Bailey Zappe is the Browns' practice squad quarterback.
Browning completed 64.5% of his throws for 757 yards, six scores and eight interceptions over four appearances so far this season for the Bengals. He went 0-3 over the last three weeks. The three-year veteran, who joined the Bengals as a undrafted free agent in 2023, completed 68.4% of his throws for 2,693 yards, 18 scores and 15 interceptions over his first 16 career appearances.
Flacco, 40, completed 58.1% of his throws for 815 yards, two scores and six interceptions through his four starts this season. He went 1-3 before being benched.
The 18-year veteran and Super Bowl XLVII MVP earned Comeback Player of the Year honors in 2023, when he completed 60.3% of his throws for 1,616 yards, 13 scores and eight interceptions over five appearances for the Browns. He went 4-1 during that span, while helping the Browns reach the playoffs.
Flacco completed 61.6% of his throws for 46,512 yards, 259 touchdowns and 168 interceptions over the first 200 appearances of his NFL career. He signed a one-year deal with the Browns in April.
The Bengals (2-3) will take on the Green Bay Packers (2-1-1) at 4:25 p.m. EDT Sunday in Green Bay, Wis. The Browns (1-4) will battle the Pittsburgh Steelers (3-1) in an AFC North divisional matchup at 1 p.m. Sunday in Pittsburgh.
