There’s drama brewing in the AFC North with Pittsburgh Steelers legend James Harrison attempting to recruit star quarterback Joe Burrow, which has prompted a Cincinnati Bengals icon to take some drastic steps. Harrison, via his Deebo and Joe podcast, revealed he has been in contact with Burrow about an inter-division move to fix the Steelers’ quarterback woes. While there aren’t any reports of a possible trade yet, a Bengals legend revealed his plans of flying to Cincinnati and addressing what’s happening with his franchise.

“Flight to Cincinnati in the morning to sit in on Bengals meetings to ensure the direction in which we are headed is up to par. “Whodey,” Chad ‘Ochocinco’ Johnson wrote on X before sharing his plans for the visit. “Yes, have a signing at Ideal Baseball Cards at noon w/ Munoz & Esiason, then at the Bengals facility for meetings till 5.”

While there’s no confirmation about what the agenda is for the meetings with the Bengals, the timing of this decision can help speculate on a possible discussion about the future of Joe Burrow with the franchise, especially after Johnson called out Harrison for his attempt to recruit the LSU product.

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“Don’t get fucked up @jharrison9292 playing with my QB. #Respectfully, Chad ‘Ochocinco’ Johnson tweeted.

However, Johnson isn’t the Bengals legend to raise concern about James Harrison’s attempt to recruit Joe Burrow, with former Cincinnati cornerback Adam ‘Pacman’ Jones harshly criticizing the former Steelers linebacker.

“Let me tell y’all something. I love Jay. I love Jay H,” Jones said in his latest Instagram story. “There isn’t any question about it. But man, stop doing that sh–t, man. You know what it is over here. It’s orange and black, not shitty and black. I’m going to say that, and I’m going to leave it at that.”

This animosity from former Bengals stars is directed at James Harrison and the Steelers, rooted in the fierce rivalry between the two teams that dates back to the 1970s. After the AFL-NFL, both the Steelers and the Bengals often found themselves battling each other, with Cincinnati winning four of the first five games.

But soon Pittsburgh took control of the rivalry, leading the series 14–6 thanks to the dynasty built by Chuck Noll and the legendary “Steel Curtain” defense. Then, in the 1980s, Cincinnati closed the gap as they reached the Super Bowl multiple times and even knocked Pittsburgh out of playoff contention in key seasons. Since then, both teams have been involved in some intense battles, which continue to fuel the fierce rivalry.

Amid all the noise, the Bengals are making it clear they plan to keep Burrow in Cincinnati. The team has taken a concrete step toward solidifying its roster, with Joe Flacco agreeing to return as Burrow’s backup.

Cincinnati Bengals bring back Joe Flacco as Joe Burrow’s backup

After a solid 2025 season, veteran quarterback Joe Flacco has agreed to a one-year deal to return to the Cincinnati Bengals and play as the QB2 behind Joe Burrow. Flacco joined the Bengals after a trade with the Cleveland Browns in October 2025 and made six starts for Cincinnati while Burrow was out with a toe injury.

Although the 41-year-old went 1-5 as a starter with the Bengals, he recorded at least 200 yards in four of his six starts and helped the Cincinnati offense average more than 27 points per game. As per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, Flacco’s contract is for $6 million but could be worth up to $9 million with incentives.

Furthermore, with this step, the Bengals are retaining a player who emerged as a mentor-like figure to Joe Burrow, as highlighted by the former LSU signal-caller during an interview with the Cincinnati Enquirer.

“I think whenever you have a guy that’s played that long, especially a guy that plays so much differently than you do, you can ask him what he thought in a situation or how he would react to this or that,” Burrow said. “He’s played a long time and played at a high level. So that’s something that I did take advantage of.”

The Bengals are making it clear Joe Burrow isn’t going anywhere, and the AFC North rivalry remains as heated as ever. With Bengals legends rallying behind their franchise and Flacco returning as backup, Cincinnati is focused on keeping its core intact.