Bengals make starting QB decision after surprise Joe Flacco trade

Cincinnati’s new field general will lead the Bengals into battle.

Bengals head coach Zac Taylor announced Wednesday that newly acquired veteran quarterback Joe Flacco will start in Sunday’s Week 6 game against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field.

“We’re going to start him this week,” he told reporters, “so he’ll take all the reps and get ready to go.”

The Bengals (2-3) acquired the 40-year-old QB, along with a 2026 second-round pick, from the Cleveland Browns on Tuesday in exchange for a 2026 fifth-round pick.

Cincinnati desperately needed a quarterback upgrade after Jake Browning failed to produce in three starts since replacing injured Joe Burrow, who suffered a serious case of turf toe in Week 2 that required surgery.

Taylor believes the former Super Bowl MVP’s “style fits our style.”

Cleveland benched Flacco in favor of 24-year-old rookie Dillon Gabriel before Week 5, making him replaceable by its AFC North rival.

And he was demoted for a reason.

Returning to Cleveland this season after leading the Browns to the playoffs in 2023, Flacco completed 58.1 percent of his passes for 815 yards in four starts.

His two touchdown passes were offset by six interceptions – an unbalanced ratio that contributed to a miserable 27.6 QBR.

The Browns opened the season 1-3 with Flacco leading the way, but – fortunately for Cincinnati – his only win came against their next opponent.

He first met the Packers in Week 3, rushing for 142 yards en route to a 13-10 victory, handing Green Bay its only loss this season (2-1-1).

Flacco looks to do the same thing on Sunday, this time in a different uniform.