NFL news: Bengals’ Joe Flacco says he doesn’t care about Joe Burrow’s return

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow is back on the practice field, but veteran backup Joe Flacco appears unfazed by the news.

Burrow returned to practice Monday, opening a 21-day window for the star to return to the lineup, but Burrow’s return to the field was not a concern for Flacco.

“I don’t know, I think the backups probably do it a lot when they know, ‘Hey, this guy’s coming back, he’s got a three-week injury or whatever,'” Flacco said, according to The Cincinnati Enquirer.

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Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Flacco leaves the field before a field goal attempt in the fourth quarter of a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Paycor Stadium in downtown Cincinnati on October 16, 2025. (Sam Greene/The Enquirer/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)

“Honestly, I don’t really think about it. It’s not really part of my process. I really don’t care. It’s this week, and that’s all that matters. And I think thinking about those things would just be a distraction. So, it’s not really something that worries me. Like I said, I’m just worried about doing my job, and this week I’m going to play Pittsburgh.”

Burrow suffered a toe injury in September that forced backup quarterback Jake Browning into the lineup. Browning struggled and the team acquired Flacco from the Cleveland Browns to take over.

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Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow was unable to put weight on his ankle after being injured against the Jaguars. (Imagn)

Flacco, who struggled with the Browns before being benched for Dillon Gabriel, has filled in admirably for Burrow. In four starts with the Bengals, Flacco completed 64.7 percent of his passes for 1,254 yards with 11 touchdowns and two interceptions.

By comparison, in Flacco’s four starts with the Browns, he completed just 58.1 percent of his passes for 815 yards with two touchdowns and six interceptions.

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Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Flacco throws a pass against the Chicago Bears during the second quarter at Paycor Stadium on November 2, 2025. (Katie Stratman/Imagn Images)

Although Flacco has played well, the Bengals are only 1-3 in his four starts due to their porous defense. The Bengals are 3-6 and need to heat up down the stretch to give themselves a chance to make the playoffs.

Their next game will be a key division matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers (5-4) on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.

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