Cleveland Browns quarterback Joe Flacco raises some eyebrows with his recent trade to the Cincinnati Bengals. This move has predictably raised the eyebrows of Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin. Flacco would add vital experience for the Bengals who are dealing with their own quarterback crisis. He has a confusingly bad mixed record of 10-11 against Tomlin’s teams. On October 7, the deal went down. The Browns traded their veteran quarterback to the Colts for a fifth-round pick in 2026.
Flacco, 40, signed a one-year deal with the Browns in the offseason. He opened the season as the starter for the first four games. In that stretch, he only managed a 61% completion percentage, putting together a mediocre 59.3 QBR. Notably, Flacco recorded 25 passing touchdowns against 12 interceptions throughout his career facing Tomlin’s defenses, which has seen him sacked 56 times over the years.
In his first game as a Bengal, Flacco put on a show. He passed for 219 yards and two touchdowns, doing so without throwing a single interception. This performance was something of a blowout turnaround for him. It was the first time he threw two or more TDs with no picks in five starts this year. In a recent game against the Green Bay Packers, Flacco’s performance stood out, as he was praised for being “significantly better as the game wore on,” according to Tomlin.
Flacco goes to Baltimore with Tomlin surprised at the Browns’ decision to trade a player of Flacco’s caliber to an in-conference opponent.
“To be honest, it was shocking to me,” – Mike Tomlin
So, as Doug Pederson put it, trading a franchise quarterback to an AFC East team with the same QBs woes—it just didn’t compute. He thought that’d be a terrible move.
“Andrew Berry must be a lot smarter than me or us because it doesn’t make sense to me to trade a quarterback that you think enough of to make your opening-day starter to a division opponent that’s hurting in that area, but that’s just my personal feelings,” – Mike Tomlin
Tomlin credited the value of Flacco’s experience on the field and said he was looking forward to squaring off against him again.
“I’m excited to play Flacco, man. He’s a great guy,” – Mike Tomlin
He emphasized that Flacco’s presence could significantly impact the Bengals’ offensive strategy in upcoming weeks.
“On the offensive side, the story is Joe Flacco, and it is reasonable to expect him to be significantly better in Week 2 as a Bengal,” – Mike Tomlin
Ultimately, Cleveland deserves credit for having the audacity to move on from Flacco. To add additional stink, they decided to go with two rookie quarterbacks the rest of the way. This strategic pivot has raised questions among analysts and fans alike regarding the wisdom of trading such an experienced player within their division.
While Flacco gets more reacquainted with his new responsibilities in Cincinnati, Tomlin cannot help but be careful yet respectful to what Flacco can do.
“Doesn’t appear to be hard for Joe Flacco,” – Mike Tomlin
All four of the head-to-head future matchups promise to be important bellwethers as the two teams continue dealing with their own quarterbacks. The Steelers-Bengals rivalry will have a chance at redemption, as the two teams will face each other again later this season. Both teams will certainly be watching Flacco’s success as he acclimates to his new surroundings.
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