The Cincinnati Bengals have finally decided they've seen enough of Jake Browning. Now, they're turning to a familiar veteran to stabilize their season, acquiring Joe Flacco from the Cleveland Browns in a trade on Tuesday, according to multiple reports.
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Cleveland will send Flacco and a sixth-round pick to Cincinnati in exchange for a fifth-round pick.
Flacco was benched in favor of rookie Dillon Gabriel for the Browns' Week 5 game against Minnesota. Head coach Kevin Stefanski made the change after Flacco went 16-of-34 for 184 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions in a 34-10 loss to Detroit. The 39-year-old has thrown just two touchdown passes and six interceptions this season, with three of his four starts falling under 200 passing yards.
Even with those struggles, Flacco represents an upgrade over Browning. The 29-year-old has gone 0-3 as a starter since Joe Burrow suffered a foot injury in Week 2. Browning threw three interceptions in Sunday's 37-24 loss to Detroit and has totaled only 265 passing yards with one touchdown and two picks over his previous two starts.
Head coach Zac Taylor insisted heading into Week 5 that he had "unwavering" confidence in Browning, but the loss to the Lions changed the tone. Fan pressure in Cincinnati had started to boil, and frustration among some of the team's star players has become visible.
The Bengals sit at 2-3 in a surprisingly soft AFC North and are hoping Flacco can keep them afloat until Burrow has a chance to return later this season. Flacco may not be the player he once was, but at this point, Cincinnati just needs someone who can give them a chance to win.
