Joe Flacco on getting benched once Joe Burrow is healthy: 'I’m honestly not really thinking about it'
- - Joe Flacco on getting benched once Joe Burrow is healthy: 'I’m honestly not really thinking about it'
Chris Cwik November 13, 2025 at 11:46 PM
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If the 2025 Cincinnati Bengals can rally from a 3-6 start to make the playoffs, Joe Flacco will be an essential part of the story. After being cast off by the Cleveland Browns, Flacco has found the fountain of youth — again — with the Bengals and has stabilized an offense that was floundering after losing Joe Burrow.
But Burrow is on his way back, and that means Flacco's time in the spotlight is nearly over. Burrow returned to practice earlier than expected after sustaining a toe injury in Week 2. The two-time Pro Bowler is reportedly aiming to return on Thanksgiving, meaning Flacco might only have two more weeks as the Bengals' starter.
If that's bothering Flacco, he's not showing it. When asked about Burrow's upcoming return, Flacco said he's not looking ahead, and only trying to focus on what's happening right now, per Pro Football Talk.
“I think that was the last thing that was on my mind. I was like, ‘All right, I’m playing this week, let’s go.’ And then just going from there,” Flacco said, via the team’s website. “I’m honestly not really thinking about it. It’s not really a part of my process. I really don’t care. It’s this week and that’s all that matters. I think to think about that stuff would be a distraction.”
It's a pretty healthy outlook. Flacco can't control when Burrow returns and has no say in his playing time once that happens. Worrying about the future can only harm and distract Flacco now. In the present, he needs to perform at his best to lead the Bengals to a few more wins so a playoff run is possible once Burrow is back.
After struggling early in the year with the Browns, Flacco seems to have found his stride in Cincinnati. Through four games, Flacco has thrown 11 touchdowns against just two interceptions. His 6.4 touchdown rate with the Bengals is among the highest he's had over his 18-year career. It certainly helps that he has Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, but Flacco deserves credit for his resurgence.
Despite that success, Flacco hasn't led the Bengals to many wins. The team is just 1-3 in his starts. But those losses aren't necessarily Flacco's fault. The Bengals have scored 42, 38, 33 and 18 points with Flacco under center. He's held up his end of the bargain; the Bengals' defense has not.
A quarterback with Flacco's numbers wouldn't normally be benched, but that's not really a debate once Burrow gets back. When healthy, Burrow is arguably a top-three quarterback in the game. He's coming off a season in which he led the NFL in both passing yards and touchdowns. He's the Bengals' unquestioned starter once his toe is healed.
While that's the reality, it's probably a tough pill for Flacco to swallow. After already being benched once this season — with a different team — the looming threat of another benching could be a major let-down for the veteran.
But it would be far from the first time Flacco has battled adversity during his career. He talked about his mindset Wednesday, explaining how he handled his benching with the Browns and how he's combatted negative thoughts during the low points of his career.
Since we meandered onto the topic, I asked Joe Flacco if he thought about retiring after this season when he was benched by the Browns. Short answer: Yes. Bu the long answer is 100% worth the listen. pic.twitter.com/K5J2ZMJXTm
— Ben Baby (@Ben_Baby) November 12, 2025
At 40, Flacco is extremely close to the end of the road. While he hasn't started double-digit games in a single season since 2017, Flacco's experienced an excellent second act as a top-tier backup that can competently run any NFL offense.
No matter what happens the rest of the way in 2025, Flacco has every reason to be proud of his performance with the Bengals. He helped keep the team competitive when it was at a low point, and proved he can still put up strong numbers when called upon.
Whether or not the Bengals can rally to make the playoffs, Flacco will be viewed as one of the team's biggest successes this season.
Source: “AOL Sports”
