The Bengals brought back Joe Flacco on a one-year deal on Tuesday afternoon, giving the team one of the best veteran backup quarterback options on their roster this year. The reported numbers were a bit of a surprise, but it gives the Bengals a solid option should Joe Burrow go down with injury once again.
Apparently, the Las Vegas Raiders were heavily interested in Flacco, with the Bengals stepping up to land the 41-year-old signal-caller.
While the Bengals prioritized re-signing Flacco, they also had the understanding that he was going to search for the best offer, and one that had the potential to start. While he doesn’t receive the latter in Cincinnati, he got a lucrative backup deal (one year, $6 million, worth up to $9 million) and returns to a place he seemed to have greatly enjoyed when coming over midseason.
After Burrow went down, Cincinnati went to backup Jake Browning for three starts. He threw six touchdowns against eight interceptions, with the Bengals going 0-3 in the stretch.
The Bengals then brought in Flacco, who started six games for the team. While he put up impressive stats (13 passing touchdowns to just four interceptions and a 61.7 completion rate), Cincinnati went just 1-5 in those games, largely due to defensive ineffectiveness.
Flacco is entering his 19th season after being a first-round pick by the Ravens in 2008. He has played for all teams in the AFC North in his career, save for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
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