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Chad Johnson Gives Joe Flacco Painfully Simple Advice Ahead of First Bengals Game

The Bengals legend naturally wants to see Flacco do well this season.

Kristen Wong

The Browns traded veteran quarterback Joe Flacco to the Bengals on Tuesday.
The Browns traded veteran quarterback Joe Flacco to the Bengals on Tuesday. / Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images
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Bengals legend Chad "Ochocinco" Johnson was among those in the NFL community who immediately weighed in on Joe Flacco's somewhat surprising trade five weeks into the season.

Flacco got dealt by the Browns following an uninspiring four games that saw the veteran quarterback throw for two touchdowns and six interceptions and go 1–3 during that span. He'll now have a fresh start nearby in the AFC North on the Bengals, the sixth team of his NFL career, where he'll try to provide a spark to Cincinnati's underperforming offense.

MORE: Winners and Losers of Bengals–Browns Joe Flacco Trade

Flacco could get his first start for his new team as soon as Sunday's game against the Packers, depending on how quickly he learns the playbook. When that time comes, Ochocinco had some very simple advice for the 40-year-old:

"Joe Flacco, throw it to Chase & Higgins," Johnson wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

A bit obvious, but still easier said than done given the Bengals' leaky offensive line.

Johnson also tried to give former Bengals starter Jake Browning a few words of wisdom earlier in the season:

"C’mon Browning settle down & let the game come to you, take what they give you & don’t force it..." Johnson wrote on X during the Bengals' blowout loss to the Vikings in Week 3.

It didn't take very long for Browning's once-promising campaign to turn sour, as the third-year quarterback threw for eight interceptions across five games, a few of which materialized from reckless deep balls to Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.

Chase and Higgins have combined for 532 receiving yards and five touchdowns through five weeks and have largely been under-utilized in the passing game as a result of Browning's error-prone quarterback play.

Though, for what it's worth, Johnson also reshared the post below on social media, comparing Flacco and Chase to Patriots greats Tom Brady and Randy Moss. Take his football opinions with as much salt as you want.

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Kristen Wong
KRISTEN WONG

Kristen Wong is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. She has been a sports journalist since 2020. Before joining SI in November 2023, Wong covered four NFL teams as an associate editor with the FanSided NFL Network and worked as a staff writer for the brand’s flagship site. Outside of work, she has dreams of running her own sporty dive bar.

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