Bengals Quarterback Room One of NFL's Deepest Entering 2026 NFL Season

CBS Sports took a magnifying glass to NFL quarterback situations this week to find the five worst and five best situations for passers. It was a generous list for the Bengals, who checked in at No. 2 on the five best situations.

Joe Flacco's strong addition as the backup quarterback last season helped Cincinnati stay in high regard on this front after Jake Browning was the previous reason for that. He unfortunately fell off a cliff last season, but the trade for Flacco early in the season helped rebuild the infrastructure underneath Joe Burrow.

Passing Depth

New York Jets quarterback Joe Flacco (19) and Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) talk after the game. The Bengals defeat the Jets, 27-12, at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, Sept. 25, 2022. Nfl Jets Vs Cincinnati Bengals Bengals At Jets | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The 49ers room of Brock Purdy, Mac Jones, Adrian Martinez, and Kuris Rourke was the only group ranked above Cincinnati.

"Joe Burrow is elite, but injuries have been a concern," Jordan Dajani wrote. "He missed nine games last year with a toe injury, and seven games in 2023 after tearing a ligament in his right wrist. Still, Burrow is incredible. When he remained healthy in 2024, the former No. 1 overall pick led the NFL with 4,918 passing yards and 43 touchdowns while throwing just nine interceptions. The Bengals still missed the playoffs thanks to their defense. This franchise needs to stop wasting the prime years of its elite weapons. Burrow is actually the only quarterback in NFL history to register a 100+ passer rating while making zero playoff starts in a three-season span. He's also been the most-sacked quarterback (242) since entering the league in 2020, if we include sacks taken in the playoffs.

"The Bengals also have a former Super Bowl MVP and Comeback Player of the Year in their quarterback room, Joe Flacco -- who made the Pro Bowl as an alternate last year. The 40-year-old was starting to look his age with the Browns at the start of 2025, but was rejuvenated by the trade to Cincinnati in October. In his second start with the Bengals, Flacco threw for 342 yards, three touchdowns, zero interceptions and registered his 30th career game-winning drive in an upset of the rival Pittsburgh Steelers. In Week 9, Flacco became the fifth player in NFL history to throw for 470 yards and four touchdowns while scoring 40 points ... in a loss. While Flacco won just one start thanks to Cincy's stinky defense, he showed he can still play."

Flacco ended up with a 41 overall ESPN QBR last season, ranking 25th in the NFL. That's right around where fans can realistically expect a 40-now-41-year-old quarterback to slot in among all NFL passers, including the elite ones at the top.

He is more than capable of filling in for a game or two, but even with his steady play, wins are far from guaranteed without Burrow. Flacco went 1-5 in his time starting for Cincinnati last season, albeit two of those losses came in games where Flacco's team scored 38 and 42 points.

The 2026 Pro Bowler played well enough to notch a 3-3 run in most stretches, but Cincinnati's defense was historically bad across that time.

Check out the full ranking from Dajani here.

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