Joe Flacco isn’t buying the trade buzz linking him to the Giants.
After Jaxson Dart’s injury sparked a little Thursday chatter about a possible Flacco-to-New York move, the Bengals quarterback shut it down in an interview with Kelsey Conway of The Cincinnati Enquirer. Asked directly whether he expects to be traded, Flacco kept it simple: “I have no reason to believe that,” Flacco said when asked if he expects to be traded.
He also made clear the rumor had already made the rounds among his friends, even if only as a joke. Some were quick to text him about a supposed reunion with Giants head coach John Harbaugh, who coached Flacco in Baltimore.
“It’s obviously not real and not true, but it was good enough to get people, certain friends of mine, to text me, ‘Hey I’ll see you in New York,’” Flacco said. “I was like, ‘No, guys, you won’t, that’s not true.’”
Still, Flacco knows the NFL can turn on a dime. He pointed to last season as proof, when the Browns traded him to Cincinnati after Joe Burrow’s season-ending injury and he ended up starting four games for the Bengals.
“I had no idea I was going to get traded last year, so you never know,” Flacco said.
For now, though, he says he’s where he expects to be. Flacco is the Bengals’ backup to Burrow, and his focus is on the task ahead in Cincinnati.
“I’m a Cincinnati Bengal, and I’m doing everything I can to get ready for the Pittsburgh Steelers,” he said.
In Other News...
Bengals Enter Steelers Showdown With One Major Defensive Concern
The Bengals head into their matchup with the Steelers carrying more than the usual early-season injury unease, and the middle of their defense is the spot worth watching most closely. Defensive tackles Jonathan Allen and B.J. Hill have both missed multiple practices, with Allen's absence tied to load management and Hill's availability still unclear, leaving Cincinnati with some uncertainty right where Pittsburgh likes to lean on opponents.
Andrei Iosivas is also expected to land on injured reserve, which trims another option from the mix as the Bengals sort through their lineup for a game that already has a physical feel to it. On the other side, Pittsburgh has its own questions, with cornerback Joey Porter Jr. limited and possibly available, while Michael Pittman and Jaylen Warren were also limited as the Steelers wait for further evaluation heading into Sunday. [Read more 🡒]
JaMarr Chase Could Make Bengals History In Pittsburgh
JaMarr Chase is headed into Pittsburgh with another benchmark hanging in the balance, and it is the kind of milestone that says as much about his start as a pro as it does about what the Bengals have built around him. He is fewer than 80 yards from 7,000 for his career, a total that would underscore just how quickly he has become one of the leagues most productive receivers.
If Chase gets there in his 81st game, he would move into rare company and sit fourth all-time for fewest games needed to reach the mark, ahead of Jerry Rice and Randy Moss. For Cincinnati, it is one more reminder that every trip to the field with Chase carries history-watch potential, even before the bigger questions around the season or the matchup are fully sorted out. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Head To Pittsburgh With One Worry And One Huge Boost
Cincinnatis early-season start has come with the kind of uneven moments that can test a good locker room, and Joe Burrow made it clear this week that Orlando Brown Jr. wont be taking the heat alone for the protection issues that showed up in Week 2. Brown allowed three first-half sacks in the win over Houston, but Burrow pointed to the complexity of pass protection as the bigger picture, a reminder that the Bengals are still sorting through some moving parts even as they sit 2-0 after the 20-6 victory over the Texans.
The encouraging news for Cincinnati is that the defensive front keeps looking like a strength, with Jonathan Allen already up to two sacks and expected to be available in Week 3 despite a knee issue. His presence, along with Dexter Lawrence, gives the Bengals a legitimate edge up front as they head to Pittsburgh, where winning the line of scrimmage could matter just as much as any single matchup on the outside. [Read more 🡒]