The ultimate replacement for Joe Burrow is likely on his way out, and he will have big shoes to fill if Burrow gets hurt again.
With the 2026 NFL offseason officially underway, the Cincinnati Bengals have several holes to fill to get them back to playoff and Super Bowl contention. After missing the playoffs for the last three consecutive years, there is no excuse to let down Bengals fans again by this time next year.
The offensive juggernaut unit, including Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Chase Brown are simply too dominant to be missing the postseason year after year. In order to showcase these superstars in the most important games of the season, general manager Duke Tobin has work to do in terms of rebuilding the offensive line and the defense.
Cincinnati Bengals wide receivers Tee Higgins (5) and Ja'Marr Chase (1) | © Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images
Unfortunately, it has become more important than ever to find a serviceable backup for Burrow, who has missed 16 games over the last three years. Backup quarterback Jake Browning proved that he was incapable of leading the stacked offense to wins, so the signing of Joe Flacco proved to be extremely beneficial for Cincinnati.
Flacco is a free agent going into 2026, and as wonderful as it would be to have his veteran leadership backup Burrow for a full season, it seems his desires lie elsewhere as it currently stands.
“I think if the opportunity is good enough early on, then you say, ‘Oh, you’re gonna give me an opportunity to play?’ then you jump on it,” said Flacco. “If that doesn’t present itself, then there’s a huge advantage to waiting. It can also be kinda crappy to be on a team as a number two, and opportunities start coming up, and you’re already locked in with a team. I don’t wanna just sign with a team, just to say I’m in the NFL for my 19th year, I could care less about like how many years I keep stacking up. I want to play football, and I still feel like I can, so that’s always the priority.”
While this may be disheartening to hear for Bengals fans, it’s completely understandable for a former Super Bowl MVP-winning quarterback. After having an impressive first decade with the Baltimore Ravens, he ultimately lost his starting job to Lamar Jackson once he suffered a hip injury in 2018. Since then, he has primarily served as a backup, although he started in Week 1 of last season with the Cleveland Browns.
Although he was 40 years old for the entirety of the 2025 season, Flacco proved that he is still capable of leading a team to wins in the NFL. While he only won one game out of his six starts for the Bengals last season, he averaged 25.7 completions for 272. 7 yards and 2.2 touchdowns (via StatMuse). Even without its superstar at the helm, Flacco helped prove that Cincinnati’s biggest problem was, in fact, the defense.
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Flacco (16) and wide receiver Mitchell Tinsley (82) | © Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images
There seems to really be six or seven major teams searching for a quarterback next season. With the draft prospects being lackluster compared to previous years, it’s unknown how many will take a quarterback they will start in Week 1. Of the teams that are unlikely to use their first-round pick on a quarterback, Flacco may be left with the Miami Dolphins, Indianapolis Colts, Minnesota Vikings, and possibly even the Cleveland Browns, for whom he was the starter in Week 1 of last season.
Time will tell which of these franchises will choose to maneuver through the draft to find the next offensive leader or use free agency. Should there not be an opening for Flacco to fill by the start of next season, it seems evident that he’d rather wait for an opportunity rather than sign as a backup. Because of this, don’t be surprised to see the Bengals draft a quarterback on a later day in the NFL Draft on April 24th-26th.