For the second time this season, the Cincinnati Bengals are making a change at quarterback.
Joe Burrow's Week 2 injury forced their hand the first time, giving backup Jake Browning the start. Now, Zac Taylor and the Bengals are shaking up the depth chart again, adding an outside option by trading for Cleveland Browns veteran Joe Flacco on Tuesday, according to Ian Rapoport.
Flacco, 40, is set to be the new QB1 in Cincinnati moving forward, as Browning has struggled over his four-game stint following Burrow's injury.
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Here's what to know about the Bengals' acquiring Flacco, whether he'll start and Cincinnati's quarterback depth chart.
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Who is Bengals starting QB?
Flacco, who started four games for the Browns this season after returning to the team through free agency, is expected to step in as Cincinnati's starter. There hasn't been official word yet, but with Browning's recent struggles, the timing for Flacco to step in would make sense. Taylor recently wouldn't rule out a change at quarterback, per NFL.com, and Flacco's pedigree would make him a capable starter.
Rapoport called Flacco the Bengals' "new QB1," while ESPN's Adam Schefter reported the team "would like" Flacco to step in for Week 6 against the Green Bay Packers, two signs he'll be taking the reigns of the offense. Cincinnati reportedly sent out a fifth-round pick for Flacco and a sixth-round pick.
At the very least, Flacco would put pressure on Browning to perform, with the threat of taking over. More likely, Cincinnati traded for Flacco as its top option, as the veteran can step in during Joe Burrow's absence and bring valuable experience to a team with win-now expectations. Browning would return to the bench behind Flacco, the same role he initially held behind Burrow.
Flacco was also benched this season in Cleveland. He threw six interceptions over four games while throwing just two touchdown passes, prompting Kevin Stefanski to hand the ball to the younger Dillon Gabriel. In 2024, Flacco totaled 1,761 passing yards, 12 touchdowns, and seven interceptions for the Indianapolis Colts.
As the Browns go all-in on their younger quarterbacks post-Flacco, the Bengals land a veteran who should prove more reliable than Browning when Burrow is sidelined.
MORE: Where Shedeur Sanders stands in Browns QB room after Flacco deal
Why was Jake Browning benched?
Browning has put up solid numbers for the Bengals in the past, including 1,936 passing yards, 12 touchdowns and seven interceptions in 2023 when Burrow went down, but that wasn't the case this time around. He took over in Week 2, and since then, he's struggled in various ways.
Turnovers have been an issue for Browning. He threw three picks in Burrow's relief against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 2, two interceptions in a blowout Week 3 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, then another three interceptions in a Week 5 loss to the Detroit Lions.
Browning's other numbers were also fairly unimpressive in a talented Bengals offense. He's failed to get star receivers Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins the ball even remotely close to the rate Burrow does; since Week 3, Chase has 16 catches for 183 yards, while Higgins has seven catches for 69 yards.
Cincinnati has also lost all three games Browning has started, although he did lead the Week 2 win over Jacksonville when Burrow went down. Still, the 48-10 loss to Minnesota, 28-3 loss to Denver and 37-24 loss to Detroit were enough for Taylor to bench Browning.
Now, the Bengals will be hoping their offense can turn it around behind Flacco, needing more turnover-free play, more production from Higgins and Chase and more points overall to keep contending in the AFC North.
Bengals QB depth chart
| Rank | Player |
| 1 | Joe Flacco |
| 2 | Jake Browning |
| 3 | Sean Clifford |
| IR | Joe Burrow |
With Burrow on IR and Flacco now in the fold, the Bengals currently have four total rostered quarterbacks. Browning saw multiple starts in Burrow's absence, but has now likely lost his starting role to Flacco following Tuesday's trade.
While Flacco is the presumptive starter as Browning returns to a QB2 role, Cincinnati has just one other option within its roster. They recently cut Mike White from their practice squad, then released veteran Brett Rypien following the Flacco trade, per Rapoport. That leaves Sean Clifford, a 27-year-old on their practice squad, as the only other passer on the team.
Clifford is a Penn State product and former Green Bay Packers fifth-round pick who should be the emergency quarterback/QB3 behind Flacco and Browning moving forward.
A quarterback trade has been increasingly likely for the Bengals, who saw Burrow go down and Browning struggle in a win-now season. Flacco will seek to lead the team back to the playoffs down the stretch, something he's proven capable of doing many times in his career.
MORE: Joe Flacco teams timeline, from Ravens to Bengals
When is Joe Burrow returning?
Burrow, who is dealing with a Grade 3 turf toe injury, is expected to be sidelined a "minimum" total of three months, per ESPN's Adam Schefter. That puts Burrow's timeline at mid-December at the earliest.
However, FOX Sports' Jay Glazer was recently skeptical of that timeline, believing it could be longer than that.
“They’re saying three months, I don’t see three months being an actual timeline,” Glazer said. “I think more so [Burrow has] a chance [to return] if they make the playoffs, but only because it’s Joe Burrow. Somebody else, I’d say no. But he has that Mamba Mentality, maybe yes. It’s such a difficult injury to return from.”
In all likelihood, the Bengals would only bring Burrow back late in the 2025 season if they were still in playoff contention. It remains to be seen if Cincinnati can hang around in the AFC playoff picture with Flacco as QB1, but either way, Burrow's return wouldn't be coming anytime soon.