Joe Flacco’s Pro Bowl debut was a long time coming - 18 seasons, to be exact - but when it finally arrived, the 41-year-old made it count.
Under the bright lights of the Pro Bowl Games at San Francisco’s Moscone Center, Flacco connected with Tee Higgins in the second quarter for a touchdown that helped the AFC extend its lead. It wasn’t just a milestone moment for Flacco, who threw his first-ever Pro Bowl touchdown, but also for Higgins, who hauled in his first score in the NFL’s annual all-star showcase.
And Flacco wasn’t done. In the third quarter, he found another familiar face - Bengals star Ja’Marr Chase - for a second touchdown pass, showcasing the kind of chemistry that had quietly developed in Cincinnati over the back half of the season.
Earlier in the second quarter, Higgins had already started to heat up, catching passes from Shedeur Sanders - the Browns rookie who briefly shared a quarterback room with Flacco early in the 2025 season. That AFC offense was clicking, and Higgins was right in the middle of it.
This Pro Bowl nod was a well-earned capstone for Flacco, who was traded from Cleveland to Cincinnati in October and stepped into a tough spot after Joe Burrow went down with a turf toe injury in Week 2 against Jacksonville. Flacco played in nine games, starting six, and gave the Bengals a veteran presence under center when they needed it most. He finished the regular season with 1,664 yards through the air, 13 touchdowns, and a completion rate that showed he could still sling it - even with a few battle scars.
And there were plenty of those. Flacco played through a sprained AC joint in his throwing shoulder during a 47-42 shootout loss to Chicago in Week 9.
Two weeks later, he gritted through another tough outing against Pittsburgh. Then came the finger injury in Week 12 against New England, a game that saw him take some punishment but still gut it out.
Despite the injuries, Flacco’s resilience helped keep the Bengals afloat in a season that could’ve easily gone off the rails without Burrow. And fittingly, Burrow was right there with him in San Francisco, representing the Bengals alongside Higgins and Chase.
Burrow made his own Pro Bowl mark with a touchdown on a trick play in the first quarter. Meanwhile, Chase showed off his versatility - and his ball-hawking instincts - by jumping in on defense and returning a Jared Goff interception for a touchdown.
It was a Pro Bowl to remember for Cincinnati. Four Bengals on the field, three touchdowns between them, and a veteran quarterback who reminded everyone that he’s still got a little magic left in that arm.