Joe Flacco is headed to the Pro Bowl - and it’s not just a feel-good story. It’s a well-earned nod to a veteran quarterback who managed to turn back the clock and deliver when it mattered most.
The 40-year-old signal caller has been added to the AFC roster for the 2026 Pro Bowl Games, joining Bengals wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins as Cincinnati’s representatives. The event kicks off Tuesday night at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, with coverage starting at 6:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.
For Flacco, this marks his first career Pro Bowl selection - a bit surprising given his 18-year NFL journey, which includes a Super Bowl MVP trophy from Baltimore’s win over San Francisco to cap the 2012 season. But this latest chapter might be one of his most improbable yet.
Flacco’s 2025 season was a tale of two cities - starting with Cleveland, ending in Cincinnati, and featuring a midseason resurgence that few saw coming. He began the year as the Browns’ starter, opening the first four games before being benched.
A week later, on October 7, he was traded to the Bengals. That’s when things got interesting.
Once in Cincinnati, Flacco took over under center and started six games between Weeks 6 and 12. During that stretch, he didn’t just manage games - he made plays.
Big ones. He ranked second in the NFL in completions (154), tied for third in touchdown passes (13), and fifth in passing yards (1,636).
And he did it with the kind of poise and precision that reminded fans why he once led a team to a Lombardi Trophy.
There were signature moments along the way. In Week 9 against Chicago, Flacco lit up the stat sheet with a career-high 470 passing yards. Two weeks earlier, he carved up Pittsburgh for 342 yards and three touchdowns in a statement win that helped stabilize a Bengals team looking for direction.
That Pittsburgh game, in particular, stuck with him.
“It’s funny because I’ve had a few of those the last couple years,” Flacco said in a season-ending interview. “A few wins where they rank right up there with some of the biggest wins. Obviously, they didn’t mean quite as much as those wins back then, but for my career and the position it’s in, and what some of these wins have done for the longevity of my career, they have meant a lot.”
Flacco described that Week 7 win as “pretty special,” not just for the numbers, but for the moment - his first home start as a Bengal, in front of a new fan base that quickly embraced him. “I remember being up long after that game because I couldn’t calm down,” he said. “The excitement that came from it, just the whirlwind of it all.”
In total, Flacco appeared in 13 games with 10 starts this season, completing 251 of 416 passes for 2,479 yards, 15 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. Solid numbers, yes - but more importantly, they came at a time when Cincinnati needed stability and leadership at the quarterback position.
Now, he becomes the seventh quarterback in Bengals history to earn a Pro Bowl selection - a testament to his late-season impact and a reminder that, even in Year 18, Joe Flacco still has a little magic left in that right arm.
The Pro Bowl Games kick off Tuesday night, and while the format may be more fun than fierce these days, Flacco’s appearance is anything but ceremonial. It’s a recognition of a quarterback who found a second wind - and made the most of it.