The Cincinnati Bengals reportedly left few stones unturned in their search for a new quarterback with Joe Burrow and Jake Browning struggling, and that included checking in on a retired Derek Carr before ultimately trading for Joe Flacco.
“My understanding is this trade was the result of an exhaustive search from Duke Tobin and the Bengals’ personnel staff all across the NFL,” NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported Sunday.
“Essentially what they did in canvassing the league was call up every team that had three quarterbacks or a viable practice squad option. … I’m told they checked in on Derek Carr, who of course would have to be a trade with the New Orleans Saints since he retired with them. They landed on Flacco, they wanted someone who had played recently.”
Cincinnati ultimately traded for Flacco and wasted no time starting him in his first game with the team.
While the Bengals fell short in Sunday’s 27-18 loss to the Green Bay Packers, the veteran played fairly well while going 29-of-45 for 219 yards, two touchdowns and zero interceptions. He seemed to have a solid rapport with Ja’Marr Chase, who posted 10 catches for 94 yards and a score.
Carr, 34, is actually six years younger than the 40-year-old Flacco, but he decided to retire ahead of the 2025 campaign.
Still, it’s not surprising a team like the Bengals that needed a quick option reached out about the four-time Pro Bowler considering he was just in the league last season and tallied four straight campaigns of more than 4,000 passing yards from 2018 through 2021.
It isn’t difficult to envision him throwing deep balls to Chase and Tee Higgins and attempting to lead the AFC North team back into the playoff race with Burrow sidelined.
Yet pain in his throwing shoulder was an issue when he announced his retirement this past offseason. And nothing ultimately came together for Cincinnati, which instead turned to the Cleveland Browns and completed an in-division trade to land Flacco.
He will have another quick turnaround after the Packers loss, as the Bengals host the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday.
