Trade: Browns are trading QB Joe Flacco and a 6th-round pick to the Bengals for a 5th-round pick. pic.twitter.com/VbIorM9985
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 7, 2025
The Cincinnati Bengals acquire 40-year-old Joe Flacco and a 6th round pick to the Cleveland Browns in exchange for a 5th.
Let’s give out trade grades.
Cincinnati Bengals acquire Joe Flacco
Joe Burrow, 2-0, turf toe—Bengals free fall.
Backup QB, Jake Browning; opportunity to make an announcement, declaring himself fit to be a starting QB in the National Football League.
Burrow’s turf toe, a rare chance to showcase, for the world to see, the hidden QB1 within.
All the offseason workouts, film study, gym sessions, desserts skipped. Time to live out all those Eminem lyrics.
Jake Browning, supported by JaMarr Chase and Tee Higgins—the best wide receiver tandem—given 3 games to keep Cincinati in the hunt; Joe Burrow floating in an advanced, underground, experimental (expensive), secret healing tank, eyes wired open, forced to view looped clips of Mahomes and Hurts raising MVP trophies, until he returns to seek his revenge on the league—all Browning had to do was not be the worst.
He couldn’t not be the worst.
Jake Browning throws his 3rd INT against the Lions…
8 INTs on the season 🫣pic.twitter.com/SXa1aGLjRq
— Fantasy Life (@MBFantasyLife) October 5, 2025
Mom’s spaghetti.
Jake Browning, 2nd most interceptions in the NFL, 3 games in; so mediocre, the Bengals are willing to give up draft picks, within the division, for Joe fucking Flacco—because Browning hands out Defensive Player of the Week trophies.
In his 3 starts, Cincinnati has been outscored by 76 points.
At one point in the Bengals 24-37 obliteration at the hands of the Detroit Lions this past weekend—All-Pro receiver had 2 catches and 2 tackles.
Browning’s mediocrity so unique, it transformed JaMarr Chase into Travis Hunter.
Browning’s inadequacies so loud, Cincinnati traded for a guy with the 3rd most interceptions in the NFL and considered it an upgrade.
Joe Flacco sucks.
His “isn’t it so funny that Joe Flacco is still playing?” schtick ran cold over here.
Flacco’s completed 58% of his passes.
He’s the second-worst QB in the NFL this season.
Flacco, awkwardly stilt walking in the pocket, each step pulling his cleats out of quicksand, zero interest in controlling the ball, no urgency to win. A waste of a starting spot—a commodity only bestowed on 32 people on this entire planet.
HOWEVER, Joe Burrow could still return this season.
I’m all in on the Cool Joe QB Room—both players lighting cigarettes, ignoring the film, yapping about their favorite vape flavors.
The 2025 season is over for Cincinnati.
Joe Flacco can’t save a file.
Might as well bring in a cool dude to snicker in the corner with like “these violins are so annoying, right?“, as the Titanic sinks beneath their feet.
Trade Grade: D
Cleveland Browns acquire 5th-round pick
I cannot stress enough how bad Joe Flacco is at football.
Flacco just threw one of the most hilarious INTs you will see pic.twitter.com/43yAd9QBOp
— Billy M (@BillyM_91) September 28, 2025
No receiver in sight. Just a game of catch with a DB. Beautiful father/son moment for an elderly man refusing to go home and hang with his actual offspring.
Flacco was benched for rookie Dillon Gabriel.
He looked fine.
219 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Flacco set the bar underground—so Gabriel barely losing to Carson Wentz, for the Browns, is Trevor Lawrence beating Patrick Mahomes on Monday Night Football.
Dillon Gabriel not throwing the ball to the other team, the only checkmark required to move on from Flacco.
With Deshaun Watson out on a 13-month honeymoon with his newlywed, the Cleveland Browns have an opportunity to test their two rookies, Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders.
See if one of them can take the reins of this offense, saving Cleveland from using a first-round pick on a QB in next year’s draft; a first round pick that could reinforce their offensive line or provide a dynamic offensive playmaker. Maybe a pass rush partner for Myles Garrett.
Joe Flacco hanging around with court-mandated community service energy doesn’t create fun vibes for the young QBs the organization accidentally pitted against each other from day one because Cleveland couldn’t believe Sheduer Sanders was still on the board in the 5th.
Good riddance. Time for the Browns to become a professional organization again.
Trade Grade: A
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