Joe Flacco Returns to Bengals on 1-Year, Up to $9M Deal

Joe Flacco is returning to the Cincinnati Bengals for the 2026 NFL season, his agent, Joe Linta, confirmed Tuesday. The 41-year-old quarterback has agreed to a one-year deal with the Bengals, continuing a remarkable career that began with the Baltimore Ravens in 2008.

The contract is valued at $6 million, with the potential to reach $9 million through incentives, according to ESPN sources. Flacco’s return comes after a 2025 season split between the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati, where he was acquired by the Bengals in October for a 2026 fifth-round draft pick in exchange for a 2026 sixth-round pick.

Flacco initially began the 2025 season as the Browns’ starting quarterback but was benched after four starts in favor of rookie Dillon Gabriel. The Bengals, meanwhile, were in need of a quarterback following a turf toe injury to Joe Burrow and struggles from Jake Browning, who has since signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

In nine appearances for Cincinnati last season, including six starts, Flacco completed 61.7% of his passes for 1,664 yards, 13 touchdowns, and four interceptions. He even threw for a career-high 470 yards against the Chicago Bears while playing with a sprained AC joint in his throwing shoulder, demonstrating a resilience that has defined his lengthy NFL tenure.

Flacco’s performance earned him a late-season Pro Bowl Games invitation, marking the first Pro Bowl appearance of his 18-year career. Despite the positive impact he made in Cincinnati, Flacco expressed a desire to potentially compete for a starting role again in 2026.

A first-round pick by the Ravens, Flacco led Baltimore to a Super Bowl XLVII victory in 2013, earning MVP honors. Over his career, he has amassed 48,176 passing yards and 272 touchdown passes, also playing for the Denver Broncos, New York Jets, Philadelphia Eagles, and Indianapolis Colts in addition to the Ravens, Browns, and Bengals. He was the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year in 2023 following a late-season stint with Cleveland.

Flacco joins a Bengals quarterback room that includes Joe Burrow and Josh Johnson. The team has not yet announced a timeline for Burrow’s full recovery from his turf toe injury.