A fresh start may have been just what the doctor ordered for veteran quarterback Joe Flacco. Following his trade away from the Cleveland Browns, Flacco came to the Cincinnati Bengals to energize their offense. With franchise quarterback Joe Burrow reeling from a turf toe injury, it fell on backup quarterback Jake Browning to lead the fray. But that hasn’t gone as planned. And the obvious answer for the Bengals is Flacco for Week 6 against the Green Bay Packers.

In a recent presser, Bengals head coach Zac Taylor made it clear that Flacco is the QB1 until Burrow returns. As the HC’s vote of confidence went:

“Played him a lot, watched him a lot. Brings great experience, great leadership. His style fits our style of play too, so excited to get him out there. We’ll start him this week. He’s gonna take all the reps, get ready to go. Already spent a lot of time meeting with us, getting up to speed, so feel really good about where he’s at.”

When asked about what made Flacco’s case as the starter immediately after being traded, coach Taylor further doubled down with:

“Very comfortable with his style, concepts he’s been good at, things that fit us and what we do. A lot of the terminology, there’s a bunch of carryover, more than I would’ve anticipated. So, it feels like we can get him ready quickly.”

After the trade to the Bengals, Flacco will be gearing up to go against the Packers a second time. Starting for the Browns, that Week 3 matchup was the only one Flacco managed to win. He went 21-of-36 for 142 passing yards and threw an interception. Two sacks, no rushing yards, and no touchdowns to his name in that game. But coach Taylor seems confident that Flacco has what it takes to flip the script.

However, Flacco’s overall season numbers point to reasons for concern. Across four games, Flacco has thrown for 815 yards and two touchdowns. But he’s also thrown six picks, taken nine sacks, and landed a QBR of 27.6. The challenge for Flacco now will be to learn a new offense and show that he still has that old Super Bowl MVP flair in him from more than a decade ago.

And to help his case, the Bengals haven’t just handed him the reins; they’ve also given him a new identity. One that’s steeped in Cincinnati’s legacy.

Blank slate, and a new legacy for Joe Flacco

Flacco reported to the practice field fully geared up in the Bengals’ colors. The most striking thing about it was the number blazing on his chest: No. 16. Yes, Flacco now has a new jersey No., a new identity as he gears up to defeat the Packers again. And that number has quite a lot of history behind it, too.

Flacco is now the 10th player to suit up in No. 16, and its history stretches all the way back to 1968 when Dewey Warren first wore that number. After Warren, that number has been passed down like a torch. Flacco is the first quarterback to wear this number in Cincinnati again since Ben Bennett in 1987. Here’s all the players who have worn this number before Flacco:

Joe Flacco has a new identity, a new team, and a new drive fueling him now. Can he ride this momentum and create a new story for his 2025 season as well? That’s something we’ll start finding out from October 12 and beyond.