Joe Flacco Reveals Why he Re-Signed With Bengals in Free Agency

The Cincinnati Bengals have had a lot of their focus on upgrading the defense this offseason, including most recently with Dexter Lawrence. They've added a lot of talent after losing players like Trey Hendrickson and Joseph Ossai, among others, in the early stages of free agency. But the Bengals targeted some names on offense, too.

Notably, the Bengals re-signed quarterback Joe Flacco to be their backup quarterback.

But the process wasn't easy. Flacco believed he could start on multiple teams around the league, but he didn't get the attention in free agency that he should have. When asked about it, he revealed why he ended up back in the Queen City with the Bengals.

Joe Flacco Reveals Why He Re-Signed With Bengals

Dec 28, 2025; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Flacco (16) hands off during the second half against the Arizona Cardinals at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images | Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images

"It's not like I didn't have opportunities. At the end of the day, I felt like I made a decision that was best for me and my family and what my gut was telling me and all that," Flacco said to Front Office Sports recently. "It wasn't like I just had to make the decision to go back to Cincinnati. I gladly made that decision. But at the same time, I think you always feel that way as a competitor. You want to be the guy, and when you don't really feel like you're given as many opportunities as you would like.

"Of course, you're going to feel a certain way about it. But, you know, listen, I kind of said that half serious, half joking. You know, I was serious for sure. But I gladly made my decision to go back to Cincinnati, and I'm excited about that. So, you know, at this point, that stuff doesn't really matter."

Flacco seemingly has a chip on his shoulder, which could be the best-case scenario for the Bengals. If Burrow goes down, the Bengals will have a solid backup quarterback to man the ship until the star returns.

Flacco is also a fan favorite and a leader in the locker room. He's the epitome of what a backup quarterback should be. The Bengals struck gold by landing him on a new deal this offseason.

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