Bengals’ Joe Flacco says teams ‘dumb’ for not signing him to start

CINCINNATI — Joe Flacco is not enthusiastic about re-signing with the Cincinnati Bengals on a one-year deal. But if it were up to him, he would be competing for a starting job elsewhere in the NFL.

After being traded to the Bengals last season to replace an injured Joe Burrow, he had one of the most productive stretches of his career. But teams ultimately opted not to draft him to compete for a starting role. And he’s not shy about expressing his belief that teams made a mistake in passing on him.

“Believe me, I wish I was a guy somewhere,” Flacco, 41, said Wednesday. “And I think teams are stupid for not letting me be that guy.”

Flacco added: “Not being one of those guys that’s going to sign somewhere, yeah, that annoys me a little bit. But at the same time, I’m very happy to be here.”

Sources told ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler on Tuesday that Flacco’s contract is for $6 million but could be worth up to $9 million with incentives.

Last season, the Bengals acquired Flacco via trade to replace Jake Browning as the interim starter following Burrow’s toe injury. Flacco started six games and completed 61.7% of his passes for 13 touchdowns and four interceptions.

When Burrow returned for the team’s Week 13 game against the Baltimore Ravens, Flacco once again became the team’s backup quarterback. When his 18th season ended and Flacco was set to become a free agent, he expressed his desire to have a chance to start somewhere in the upcoming season.

But the quarterback carousel has spun this offseason without him finding a favorable path on a depth chart. It didn’t help that notable names such as Kyler Murray and Tua Tagovailoa were available as free agents and landed on teams in need of potential starters.

Flacco was not caught off guard, however.

“I know enough to not get too emotionally attached to certain things and how to think about how they might play out because you really have no idea,” Flacco said. “And who knows what those teams were thinking anyway, whether I was on their radar or not. I have no idea.

“It’s not really up to me. I think I can get caught up in all that and say, ‘Why not me?’ and all that and be bitter about it.”

Flacco then reflected on this feeling before realizing that perhaps there is some resentment that will fuel him as he prepares for the upcoming season.

“Maybe some of that still motivates me to do what I do,” Flacco said. “That’s probably how I feel. I feel like I have unfinished business. That’s part of why I’m still here, playing and doing all these things.”

Alongside veteran Josh Johnson, who turns 40 in May, Flacco will be tasked with playing a backup role behind Burrow. Flacco and Burrow were each late additions to last season’s Pro Bowl Games, marking the first official time Flacco received the designation.

Now that Flacco has signed with a team, his focus has shifted to the 2026 season. And even though he is a backup, he feels he can still work toward his mission, which is to be a key contributor on a winning team.

“I don’t see this as the end,” Flacco said. “That’s just not how I see it in my mind. I feel like I can help a team win. And yeah, it might be in a different role here, but I still think I can help this team win in this role.”