Joe Flacco calls out ‘dumb’ teams for not making him an NFL starter

Joe Flacco may be 41 years old, but he still thinks he has a long way to go.

The Super Bowl XLVII champion signed a one-year deal with the Cincinnati Bengals to be Joe Burrow’s backup, but he wants much more than that.

“Not being one of those guys that’s going to sign somewhere, yeah, that kind of pisses me off,” Flacco said.

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Joe Flacco of the Cincinnati Bengals throws a pass against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the first quarter of the game at Paycor Stadium on October 16, 2025 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Michael Hickey/Getty Images)

He then added a parting shot to almost every team in the league.

“And believe me, I wish I was the guy somewhere, and I think teams are stupid for not letting me be that guy,” he said.

Flacco started last season for the Cleveland Browns and was their Week 1 quarterback, but with two rookies, Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders behind the scenes, the writing was on the wall.

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Flacco warms up before a game against the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, New York on December 7, 2025. (Mark Konezny/Imagn Images)

Cleveland traded him to Cincinnati after Burrow suffered a serious toe injury, and he found some success. Flacco played well despite going 1-5 as a starter with the Bengals. He threw for at least 200 yards in four of his six starts, and the Bengals offense averaged more than 27 points per game.

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But with his success, despite his desire to be a starter, it’s a good consolation prize.

“I feel like I have unfinished business. That’s part of why I’m here and continuing to play and do all these things…” he said. “I had fun with Joe, and Joe is the guy.”

Flacco, who was a Super Bowl MVP with the Baltimore Ravens during the 2012 season, played for the Broncos, Jets, Eagles, Jets Again, Browns, Colts, Browns Again and Bengals.

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Flacco (16) throws a pass against the Chicago Bears during the second quarter at Paycor Stadium on November 2, 2025. (Katie Stratman/Imagn Images)

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He totaled 48,176 yards, 272 touchdowns and 172 interceptions in 19 seasons. He is 10-6 in the playoffs with 3,530 passing yards, 26 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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