Joe Flacco Reflects on Injuries, Joe Burrow's return in new 'Quarterback' Episode

Joe Flacco has been featured in Season 3 of Netflix's "Quarterback," along with Baker Mayfield of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Jayden Daniels of the Washington Commanders and Cam Ward of the Tennessee Titans. The show followed his journey from Cleveland down Interstate 75 to Cincinnati, and the most recent episodes, released July 14, focused on the hardships the then-40-year-old faced, as well as the return of Joe Burrow.

Episode 6 begins with a quick recap of the injury Flacco sustained in the Week 8 matchup against the Jets, with New York leaving Paycor Stadium with its first victory of the 2025 season. The AC joint sprain did not keep the veteran quarterback out of the next game against the Chicago Bears, and with a bye week before the Bengals traveled to Pittsburgh in Week 11, he hoped to be as close to 100% as possible in an effort to keep the season alive.

Flacco stayed fairly clean against the Steelers' strong front seven, but an awkward landing on the lone sack of the afternoon reaggravated the shoulder injury. He was shown on the sideline struggling to put power behind his passes, but stayed in the game despite discomfort in his already injured shoulder.

"That's football. That's the Steelers defense," Flacco said.

Flacco did not hold back when discussing the hit, saying T.J. Watt took full advantage of the opportunity to hit him. The play resulted in a 15-yard penalty, but the damage had already been done.

"He knew what he was doing," he said.

The episode then transitioned to Burrow's return. With a short week ahead because of a Thanksgiving Thursday Night Football matchup against the Baltimore Ravens, Flacco made his final start of the 2025 season against the New England Patriots in Week 12.

He reflected on how quickly the time had passed since arriving in Cincinnati and how difficult it was knowing he would no longer be the competitor in the ring once Burrow returned. Flacco understood the job, however, and Zac Taylor commended the way he handled the transition back to the backup role, saying it was a "testament to his character."

Taylor also spoke highly of Flacco's efforts to play through his injury and help the team win games. Flacco discussed how his mindset helped him play through pain, a theme that became the title of Episode 6, "Toughness Is a Choice." He did what he set out to do and never gave himself an excuse when it came to taking the field.

The closing segment of Flacco's portion of the episode shifted to how he handled his return to Baltimore for his first game as the Bengals' backup. He used the experience to remind himself that he still loves to play the game and motivate himself in hopes of one day again being the quarterback a team can depend on.

"I don't think I wanted to play in that game necessarily more than I would have wanted to play in any other game. Maybe I'm just lying to myself and everybody, but you're not always in charge of how things go. You just have to be open-minded and willing to accept challenges and see where they take you."