The Cincinnati Bengals traded for Joe Flacco on Tuesday, giving the team a veteran option at quarterback after Joe Burrow went down in Week 2. Cincinnati also sent a sixth-round pick to the Cleveland Browns in the trade, acquiring a fifth-round pick in return.
To make room for Flacco, the Bengals released Brett Rypien, who spent the 2024 season as the Minnesota Vikings‘ third quarterback. He was released following the 2025 preseason before signing with the Bengals.
Interestingly, Flacco is taking over the starting job in Cincinnati from Jake Browning, another former Viking. Browning signed with Minnesota as an undrafted rookie free agent in 2019 and spent the next two seasons with the team before being cut following the 2021 preseason.
Flacco will look to rescue a Bengals team which has lost three games in a row since Burrow went down. If the Bengals beat the Packers on Sunday, Flacco would become the first quarterback in the Super Bowl era to beat the same opponent twice in a season with different teams.
Joe Flacco can become the first QB in the Super Bowl era to start and beat the same opponent TWICE in a season with different teams 👀 pic.twitter.com/NmIxhDM54w
— DraftKings Sportsbook (@DKSportsbook) October 7, 2025
This article originally appeared on Vikings Wire: Joe Flacco trades forced Bengals to cut former Vikings QB
