As Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow gets closer to returning from his injury, veteran quarterback Joe Flacco is considering what the future holds for him. Flacco, who is 40 years old, joined the Bengals from the Cleveland Browns after backup quarterback Jake Browning had some difficulties in his starts earlier in the season.
Despite Flacco’s recent success with the team, Burrow has been fully participating in practices, which suggests that Flacco’s time as a starter in Cincinnati may be coming to an end.
“It’s something you think about a little,” Flacco admitted, referring to the possibility that his next game could be his last scheduled start with the Bengals. “But I’m really not that worried about it. I think the best thing for me is to just focus on preparing as I always do and try not to think about it too much.”
Flacco’s time with the Bengals has given him renewed confidence that he can still be a starting quarterback in the league. “I hope that my performance here shows people that I can still play at this level,” Flacco said. “I still want to be a starter, and I feel like I have the ability to do it. This experience has definitely helped my confidence.”
Before joining the Bengals, Flacco started four games for the Browns. During that time, he completed about 58% of his passes for 815 yards, with two touchdowns and six interceptions.
Since joining the Bengals, Flacco has improved his completion rate to about 63%, throwing for 1,453 yards with 12 touchdowns and three interceptions.
The Bengals have had a challenging season so far, with a record of 3-7 after a recent loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Their chances of making the playoffs are slim, and they need a strong winning streak in their remaining games to have a chance.
The Bengals face the New England Patriots (9-2) this Sunday.
Flacco wants to play in NFL as starter, Bengals needs to step up a gear in this season.
