That could mean holding off on signing until a job opens up, but Flacco hopes he has options going into Year 19.<\/p>\n
\u201cI mean those are conversations that I\u2019m having with myself and I think first of all, just like you said, I think one thing to be more selective is the right terms because you just don\u2019t know if there\u2019s going to be any opportunities out there,\u201d Flacco said. \u201cSo, hopefully I\u2019m afforded the ability to be selective, but you never know if that\u2019s going to be the case. And then when you are presented with an opportunity, like I said, I tend to look at it as an opportunity, so it can be hard to turn that down, but I do hope that I have the ability to step back a little bit and make that decision. And obviously I\u2019m going to have people, my wife and people in my family and friends that I can bounce those things off of. But there\u2019s definitely scenarios where I feel like I would be welcome to maybe saying, \u2018Ah, I\u2019ll wait,\u2019 and be that guy.\u201d <\/p>\n
Flacco hasn\u2019t been a full-time starter since 2017, his 10th season with the Baltimore Ravens team that drafted him No. 18 overall in 2008. He was replaced by Lamar Jackson midway through the 2018 season and since then he\u2019s been chasing opportunities to play with Denver (2019), the New York Jets (2020-22), Cleveland (2023 and 2025) and Indianapolis (2024), before finishing this season in Cincinnati.<\/p>\n
Cleveland made him its Week 1 starter after he won a competition among four other quarterbacks, but it was clear he would have a chance there from the start because of Deshaun Watson\u2019s injury. <\/p>\n
After going 1-3, the Browns benched him. Two weeks later, he was traded, but Flacco knew he was buying time until Burrow returned. Bengals coach Zac Taylor said he would love to have Flacco back, but he respects that Flacco might want to go where he would have more opportunity to play.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think it\u2019d be valuable,\u201d Taylor said. \u201cI think he\u2019s a starting quarterback in the NFL. I think anytime you\u2019ve experienced that and you\u2019re able to get him back, that\u2019d be great. Now, I\u2019ll let him speak for himself. He\u2019ll have to look at those opportunities. \u2026 And we\u2019ll see what his future holds for him. He\u2019s got to make that decision. \u2026 But I do know that he wants to keep playing. And I appreciate that about him. So again, what a fun time that was, getting here, getting to know him and the effect he had on our team. And we\u2019ll just see how it shakes out in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n
The opportunity to throw to wide receivers like Ja\u2019Marr Chase and Tee Higgins makes the idea of being a backup to Burrow something Flacco would still consider. <\/p>\n
![\"Cincinnati](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/4W2AC36VD5HHFKHFIROANQKBEI.jpg\")
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Credit: JEREMY MILLER<\/p>\n
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Credit: JEREMY MILLER<\/p>\n
Flacco repeatedly talked about how special Chase and Higgins are and how much easier they made his job. He respected them both so much he had them sign jerseys for him before leaving Paycor Stadium on locker cleanout day. Chase also had asked for Flacco to sign a jersey for him. <\/p>\n
That in itself is a sign Flacco will probably look elsewhere, but he\u2019s not ruling out a return. <\/p>\n
\u201cI think until those things get presented to you and you actually have the super specific scenario, it\u2019s hard to put a weight on it,\u201d Flacco said. \u201cI mean, obviously, I think the last five or six years I\u2019ve wanted to get to a point where I\u2019m playing again. And even though I\u2019m going to a place where that might not be the case right away, if there is an opportunity that randomly presents itself while I\u2019m there, I was open, I was cool with that. And this is a unique place because if you come here, there could be no hope of ever playing. And I think there\u2019s a world, where okay, that\u2019s okay, but it\u2019s hard to say what that is right now. All I can do is kind of lean on my experience here and the fun that I had with a group of guys in this locker room, and that\u2019ll play a part in it.\u201d<\/p>\n