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By Cole Sullivan
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The Cincinnati Bengals’ season came to an end on Sunday with a 20–18 loss to the Cleveland Browns, dropping the team to 6–11 overall and missing the playoffs for the third consecutive year.
For much of the season, the Bengals were without star quarterback Joe Burrow, and while the year often felt lost and never fully turned around, the midseason acquisition of veteran quarterback Joe Flacco gave the city a renewed sense of hope. From the moment he arrived, Flacco was warmly embraced by the organization and the fan base.
Flacco, soon to be 41 years old in two weeks, was asked on Monday about his future in the NFL as he prepares to enter free agency. While many expected retirement to be a possibility, Flacco made it clear that, for now, stepping away is not on the table and that he intends to play next season.
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After dismissing retirement, Flacco reflected on his time in Cincinnati, saying, “I’m just being myself. I love being in the locker room, and I’ve had a lot of fun here these last couple of months. I’m just trying to be myself — trying to be a good teammate, trying to be the best I can at what I do. However things shake out from there, they do, but I’ve had a lot of fun.”
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It remains unclear what the future holds for Flacco in the NFL, but he proved that he can still play and be effective as either a backup or a starter.
Flacco completed 61.4% of his passes during his time with the Bengals, throwing for 1,664 yards, 13 touchdowns, and just four interceptions. He made six starts with the organization after being acquired from the Cleveland Browns.
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The Bengals’ starting quarterback job clearly belongs to Burrow, but if Flacco is unable to secure a role elsewhere that offers a legitimate opportunity to start, there remains the possibility he could return to Cincinnati as the backup — a move Bengals fans would likely welcome after the impact he made in just nine games in orange and black.
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