Joe Flacco Shares Plans for 2026 NFL Season Days Ahead of 41st Birthday

Blake Silverman | Jan 3, 2026

Joe Flacco was traded from the Browns to the Bengals earlier this season / Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Veteran quarterback Joe Flacco’s 18th NFL season will come to a close Sunday when the Bengals take on the Browns at home. He began the season as Cleveland’s starting QB, but he was dealt to Cincinnati in October to help lead the way as Joe Burrow recovered from a toe injury.

Flacco threw for 290 yards for the Browns in their Week 1 loss to the Bengals. He’ll partake in the same matchup Sunday, just on the other sideline as Burrow’s backup. He went just 1–5 in six starts for Cincinnati this season, but he remains open to a return to the Bengals next year as he aims to find his next opportunity. Flacco, who turns 41 on Jan. 16, hopes to be back on the field somewhere next year for a potential 19th season.

“That’s always a priority,” Flacco said via the Associated Press. “I’m somebody who wants to play football. You’ve got to assess and see whatever is thrown your way. You have to go from there and see what you can do about it.”

He will be a free agent in the offseason after signing a one-year deal to join the Browns in April. Next year, he’ll look for his best opportunity to play, potentially in another QB battle like the situation in Cleveland to start the year. When the Browns made a move to rookie QB Dillon Gabriel, Flacco’s services were requested elsewhere as the Bengals addressed their QB play in the wake of Burrow’s injury. Presumably, he could return to Cincinnati next year as Burrow’s backup, but other options could be on the table as he weighs several factors ahead of his next move.

“I haven’t really thought about it,” he said via the AP. “I don’t hope to do anything. I have an idea of maybe of what some goals would be. I’ll go from there and see what happens.”

In 12 games and 10 starts this year with both Cleveland and Cincinnati, Flacco threw for 2,479 yards with 15 touchdowns and 10 interceptions while completing 60.3% of his throws. He had a strong six starts for the Bengals despite the poor record. The Bengals will miss the postseason for the third straight year, currently sitting with a 6–10 record ahead of Sunday’s season finale.

We’ll see whether the contest against the team Flacco started the year with is his last game in a Bengals uniform. Either way, he plans that this season won’t be his last in the NFL.

---

More NFL on Sports Illustrated

FREE NEWSLETTER. SI BTN Newsletter. Start off your day with SI:CYMI. dark

feed