Joe Flacco at the Cleveland Browns was well-known for his mentorship as a veteran among the Rookie quarterbacks. After his trade to the Cincinnati Bengals, he has surely settled into the new roster. Flacco, with his third different AFC North team, looks forward to influencing change.

According to Jeremy Rauch of Fox, “Joe Flacco says he has spoken to Joe Burrow and says he can definitely help speed up his process.”

In the second quarter of the Bengals’ 31-27 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars, Joe Burrow sustained an injury. When backup quarterback Jake Browning entered the game, he completed 21 of 32 throws for 241 yards, two touchdowns, and three interceptions, helping Cincy get off to its first 2-0 start in seven years.

Burrow is believed to have a grade three turf-toe injury, which involves a complete tear of the plantar plate and surrounding stabilizing ligaments beneath the big toe. This requires a nonoperative recovery of ~2–3 months or a post­surgical recovery in 3–5 months.  

After sidelining him in week 2, the franchise has not only produced a win but has also struggled with scoring. Especially during the match-up against the Denver Broncos, the Bengals lost 3-28. Before placing Burrow on IR, he posted 189 passing yards, 2 touchdowns, and 5 sacks.

The franchise pocket crumbled in 2020, during Burrow’s rookie campaign, when he had a season-ending injury to his left knee that involved several damaged ligaments. He also suffered a season-ending arm injury in 2023. Hopefully, Joe Flacco puts an end to Burrow’s streak of injuries and the allowing of sacks in the pocket.

Joe Flacco’s attempt to revive the Bengals against the Packers

Joe Flacco replaces Jake Browning, who went winless in three starts and threw eight interceptions. Against the Green Bay Packers earlier this season, Flacco completed 21 of 36 throws for 142 yards with one interception.

As per the latest report by Joe Danneman, “Joe Flacco on coming in to help the Bengals stay afloat: I sure hope so. That’s what I play for. I play to win football games and play my best. Hope to elevate teammates around me and win a few football games.”

Flacco completed 93 of 160 passes (58.1%) for 815 yards, two touchdowns, and six interceptions in his limited 2025 run with the Cleveland Browns. He was also sacked nine times. Flacco can stabilize the offense and help cut down on turnovers. By making defenses respect the throw, his presence may help boost the confidence of the run game and receivers.

Cincinnati is ranked 29th against the pass (259 yards) and 30th in total defense (391.2 yards allowed per game). Their offense ranks lowest in the league, averaging only 205.3 yards per game. Green Bay, on the other hand, is 14th in total offense, averaging 347.3 yards per game, which is mid-pack. Additionally, the Packers have a turnover differential of +0 (13th) compared to -5 (29th) for the Bengals.

If Cincinnati zeroes in on winning games on third down. They have a chance to make this a competitive game with Flacco’s limited interceptions.