The Cincinnati Bengals didn't expect to give Joe Flacco snaps under center before this season, but injuries create surprising situations in the NFL. Franchise quarterback Joe Burrow went down with turf toe in Week 2, and the Bengals acquired Flacco from the Cleveland Browns to temporarily replace him on Oct. 7.

The Bengals were 2-3 at the time, so they still had the chance to stay in the AFC playoff race until Burrow returned. That didn't work out, as they went 1-5 in Flacco's starts, but he at least added intrigue to their season while their star rehabbed. The 41-year-old finished with 1,664 yards on a 61.7 completion percentage (256 attempts) with 13 touchdowns and 4 interceptions for Cincinnati, while fellow backup Jake Browning logged 771 yards on a 64.8 completion rate (125 attempts) with six touchdowns and eight picks. 

Flacco spoke about whether he'll retire this offseason on Wednesday, via The Baltimore Sun's Bennett Conlin.

“I’ve tried to come up with a good answer for everybody, but it’s a hard question to answer,” the former Super Bowl MVP said. “I’ve played football most of my life. I think you think about an end. You do think about one day being done, but at the same time, year to year, you don’t really think about that. You’re just like, ‘Oh, offseason. Time to work out and get ready for the next season.’ And I think that for the most part, my head is still in that space.”

“A lot of guys talk about falling out of love with the game or just kind of knowing,” he continued. “I don’t think that’s hit me yet.”

Flacco is no longer the same player who led the Baltimore Ravens to a championship in the 2012 campaign, but he's been a productive stopgap option in his recent seasons. The 6-foot-6, 245-pounder completed 65.3 percent of his passes (262 attempts) for the Denver Broncos in 2019 before playing 12 games over the next three years with the New York Jets and helping the Browns make the playoffs after Deshaun Watson went down in 2023.

Flacco then completed 65.3 percent of his throws (248 attempts) again in 2024, this time for the Indianapolis Colts after Anthony Richardson got hurt. The 2008 first-round pick also notched 12 touchdowns against seven interceptions.

Flacco then began 2025 as Cleveland's starter before the team traded him to Cincinnati. The veteran showed that he still has something left in the tank, so there's no reason to retire from a football perspective. Staying healthy and spending more time with family would be reasons for hanging up the cleats, but the love for the game keeps him coming back for now.