The Cincinnati Bengals are turning to their third different quarterback of the 2025 season for their Week 6 matchup against the Green Bay Packers. While he recognizes that his window is closing, Joe Flacco is not taking his latest opportunity for granted.
Flacco, 40, is in his 18th season in the league and is still going strong many years after countless fans began calling for his retirement. As a Super Bowl MVP and NFL Comeback Player of the Year award winner, Flacco has little left to prove in his career, but he still has a burning desire to continue to leave everything he has on the field.
“I just feel like I have a lot to offer to a football team,” Flacco said, via Ari Meirov of The 33rd Team. “You only get a chance to play in the NFL once. I've worked really hard to be a guy who gets to play in the NFL. I don't want to take that for granted. I still feel that I can play the game at a high level, and I want to be able to look at myself in the mirror when I'm 50 years old and be able to say that I gave it everything I had.”
#Bengals QB Joe Flacco was asked why he’s still playing at age 40 — after making so much money, winning a Super Bowl, and having a young family — and his answer was perfect:
“You only get a chance to play in the NFL once. I feel like I’ve worked really hard to be a guy that gets… pic.twitter.com/3Etf58GjAA
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) October 10, 2025
Flacco joined the team via trade on Tuesday, roughly one week after he was benched by the Cincinnati Bengals for rookie Dillon Gabriel. The Browns sent a fifth-round pick to their in-state rivals to acquire the veteran to complete the rare trade between the organizations.
Bengals hoping Joe Flacco revives listless offense against Packers
The Browns desperately hope that Flacco still has enough left in the tank to keep them afloat for at least a few more weeks. Cleveland got off to a promising 2-0 start, but it enters Week 6 on a three-game skid with its offense stalling out under Jake Browning's guidance.
Flacco led the Browns to a disappointing 1-3 start before getting benched. However, his lone win came against the Packers, whom he will attempt to beat again with his new team in Week 6.
But while adding Flacco addresses one issue, the Bengals' most pressing concern remains unsolved. Burrow and Browning have been sacked a combined 14 times through five games, a bottom-10 mark in the league. Both are distinctly more agile than Flacco is at this point in his career, proving several reasons for concern among Cincinnati fans.
