The Cincinnati Bengals acquired Joe Flacco from the Cleveland Browns on Oct. 7 in a swap of late 2026 draft picks (Bengals sent a 2026 fifth-rounder and received a sixth).
He was instantly named the starter as Cincinnati tried to steady an offense that had struggled without franchise QB Joe Burrow.
The impact was immediate; across his first three starts with the Bengals, Flacco threw for 784 yards, seven touchdowns, and zero interceptions, carrying a 100.1 passer rating.
Star wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase got back on track, and more importantly, all three games were within single digits, including a massive upset over the Pittsburgh Steelers on “Thursday Night Football.”
Unfortunately for both Chase and the rest of the Bengals offense, Flacco’s availability for Sunday’s game against the Chicago Bears is now uncertain after NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported the veteran has an AC-joint sprain in his throwing shoulder following the loss to the New York Jets.
Flacco exited that game, returned late, and has since been listed as day-to-day by coach Zac Taylor as the Bengals evaluate the injury.
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Chase remains the engine of Cincinnati’s passing attack and has been among the league’s most productive receivers again this season, thanks largely to the rapport he’s built with Flacco.
Through eight games, Chase leads the NFL in catches (70) and targets (99) by a wide margin, while ranking second in yards (720) and tied for third in touchdowns (five); in his three games with Flacco at QB, Chase has totaled 38 receptions (54 targets) for 346 yards and two touchdowns, including a 16-catch, 161-yard outburst against the Steelers.
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If Flacco is unavailable Sunday against the Bears, Jake Browning, who started earlier in the season and remains the primary backup, will likely get the call.
Browning struggled earlier in the year, throwing for 757 yards, six touchdowns, and eight interceptions in four starts, including two games in which Chase was held to just five catches and less than 60 yards receiving.
Fantasy football managers and Bengals fans alike will need to closely monitor Flacco’s status ahead of kickoff at Paycor Stadium; if he’s out, the team will likely protect Chase (and Browning) and lean more on the ground game behind running backs Chase Brown and Samaje Perine.