Bengals Offensive Line Stars React To Joe Flacco Becoming A Bengal

The protection has to improve for Cincinnati to do anything this season.

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Flacco (16) walks out of Paycor Stadium to the practice fields, Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025, in downtown Cincinnati. / Frank Bowen IV/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

CINCINNATI — Jake Browning is done as the Bengals' starting quarterback. The veteran is being slotted out for Joe Flacco as the Bengals offensive line tries to figure out its issues quickly for an even older 40-year-old veteran.

Flacco sits third in the NFL this season with six interceptions coming from a comparable offensive line situation in Cleveland. The Bengals are arguably the worst offensive line in the NFL this season and Ted Karras knows they have to execute better than they have been.

"He's a vet, obviously, a true professional, and has done this a few times," Karras said at his locker on Wednesday. "So went really smooth today. Thought we had a good practice. I think it was an aggressive move and something hopefully that pays dividends. But I think a lot of guys you know have already really learned stuff from him. He came in was was ready to go today, and really a pleasure to snap to Joe Flacco."

Browning went 4-3 as the Bengals' starter in 2023, but that hot streak of production couldn't outpace his poor processing display this season. The rough blocking didn't do him any favors as Cincinnati now sports zero offensive line starters with a PFF grade above 60 overall.

Orlando Brown Jr. is hoping their hard work at gelling together shows through soon.

"Yeah, really important, man to be honest, no matter who it is, at quarterback just continuing to gel, continuing to move forward and progress in our system together, playing as a unit, all five of us at the same time, being able to count on each other," Brown described.

It's hard for things to get much worse protecting the passer, Brown & Co. rank 32nd in Ben Baldwin's composite pass blocking metric through five games. That now matches up against the sixth-best pressure rate defense in the NFL from Green Bay.

Pass protection composite ratings

Audibly laughed when I saw the bottom 2. Have fun with that, Joe Flacco pic.twitter.com/kdZLaOXKFS

— Computer Cowboy (@benbbaldwin) October 8, 2025

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