Feb. 15, 2026, 5:30 a.m. ET

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Flacco recently turned some heads with comments about the state of the NFL. 

Prior to that, Flacco has made it clear over multiple appearances that he wants to continue his NFL career. It should go without saying, but the Bengals would like to have him back as Joe Burrow’s backup. 

Easier said than done, though. Greg Auman of Fox Sports is one expert predicting Flacco leaves, this time for the Atlanta Falcons: 

“Flacco, 41, went 2-8 as a fill-in starter this past season, but it was an exciting 2-8 to be sure. Traded from the Browns, he threw seven touchdowns against zero interceptions in his first three games with Cincinnati, then went off for 470 yards and four touchdowns in a loss to Chicago. He’s inexpensive as stopgap backups go, so if you have a young quarterback who might not be ready, Flacco is an entertaining bridge and still happy to throw it 45 times if you need a pinch-start.”

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Teams like the Falcons will always be a threat. In fact, other buzz has suggested that teams like the Minnesota Vikings could be in the hunt for Flacco after considering signing him last offseason. 

Flacco has droves of NFL experience and acquitted himself incredibly well while keeping the Bengals alive last season. Quarterbacks who can serve as a quality backup, never mind produce as a starter, aren’t exactly making it to the open market often these days. 

If a starting job doesn’t open up for Flacco, the Bengals might be his best option, considering Burrow’s history of absences and the weapons he’s now familiar with. But the Bengals will face some competition and losing him would create a pretty big problem.

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