Joe Flacco trade grades: Browns get rewarded for dumping 40-year-old QB; Bengals take big swing

The first major trade of October has taken place, as the Cincinnati Bengals acquired Joe Flacco from the Cleveland Browns with just over three weeks until the trade deadline. Cincinnati acted fast in trading for Flacco, parting ways with a 2026 fifth-round pick in exchange for Flacco and a 2026 sixth-round pick. 

Intradivision trades are rare in the NFL these days, but the Bengals are desperate for stability at quarterback after Joe Burrow is out for months with turf toe. Jake Browning was struggling to provide offense and the Bengals sit at 2-3 with an opportunity to still compete for a playoff spot.

The Browns benched the 40-year-old Flacco last week in favor of rookie Dillon Gabriel, who earned his first start with Cleveland this past Sunday in London. Cleveland will roll with Gabriel and fellow rookie Shedeur Sanders for the remainder of 2025, a rebuilding year for a franchise that is still hindered by the Deshaun Watson contract. 

Who ended up winning the Flacco trade? How does the deal fare for the AFC North rivals? 

How Browns' Joe Flacco trade to Bengals impacts Shedeur Sanders

Tyler Sullivan

Browns: B

The Browns weren't going to play Flacco for the rest of the season unless Gabriel went down with an injury, or so was initially thought. Flacco was the QB2 when he was benched for Gabriel last week, and Sanders remained the QB3. The Browns being able to dump Flacco and a sixth-rounder off for a fifth-round pick was a solid move, especially for a quarterback who likely wasn't going to be on the roster past this year. 

Cleveland had an overabundance of quarterbacks on its roster, as the Browns were able to get a fifth-round pick for Flacco and a fifth-round pick for Kenny Pickett, who they shipped to the Raiders. That's two fifth-round picks for two quarterbacks, giving the Browns 10 picks in 2026 -- including the 2026 first-round pick from the Jaguars. 

The Browns are stacking picks and moving on from a veteran quarterback who won't be part of their rebuild. They'll get to see what they have in Gabriel for the remainder of 2025, and possibly Sanders. This is the right move going forward for Cleveland, which is in the process of a rebuild. 

Three reasons why the Joe Flacco trade actually makes sense for the Bengals

John Breech

Bengals: B-

How much did the Bengals really have to give up for Flacco here? Was the price of a 40-year-old quarterback that high? Or does it signify how desperate the Bengals are to have a quarterback who isn't Browning?

The Bengals pretty much traded the same price to acquire Flacco as the Raiders did for Pickett. They are looking to get better quarterback play than what they have received from Browning in his three starts. Browning has been abysmal, completing 64.1% of his passes with four touchdowns to five interceptions and a 70.7 passer rating. He's ranked 37th out of 38 quarterbacks in passer rating (only Cam Ward is lower) and 32nd out of 37 quarterbacks in yards per attempt (5.6). 

Flacco wasn't better in those three weeks (and he was benched prior to Week 5). He completed 52.9% of his passes with zero touchdowns and three interceptions (47.7 rating). Perhaps the Bengals feel Flacco would be better off slinging the ball down the field to Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, which better suits his style of play.

The raw numbers don't back up the deal, but the offensive skill-position players better suit Flacco's game. This may not matter with the Bengals offensive line anyway, but Cincinnati is taking a chance here.