The Cincinnati Bengals saw their season get derailed in Week 2 when Joe Burrow went down with an injury. Backup quarterback Jake Browning performed poorly in Burrow’s stead. That led to a surprising in-division trade, with the Cleveland Browns sending veteran Joe Flacco to the Bengals. Mike Tomlin wasn’t happy with that move, and according to insider Adam Caplan, another member of the Steelers’ organization was just as displeased with the Browns.
“I know from talking to someone with the Steelers, who echoed what Mike Tomlin said, ‘Are you completely giving up on your team?'” Caplan said recently on FOX Sports Radio. “And this person said to me also that you’re telling the veterans of the Browns, ‘We don’t care. We’re not trying to win.'”
It isn’t common for teams to make trades within the division. It’s even more uncommon for a move this impactful to be made between rivals. The Browns didn’t just make a trade with the Bengals. They sent them the quarterback who was their Week 1 starter. Cleveland gave Cincinnati an answer at quarterback.
While Flacco isn’t the same quarterback that he once was, he can still win games. In 2023, he helped the Browns reach the playoffs. Last year, as a member of the Indianapolis Colts, he came off the bench and beat the Steelers.
That move has already started to pay off for the Bengals, too. Flacco beat the Steelers in Week 7, throwing for two touchdowns and almost 350 yards.
Meanwhile, the Browns have turned to rookie third-round pick Dillon Gabriel to be their starter. In three starts, he’s been fine. The Browns have gone 1-2, with Gabriel throwing for 527 yards, two touchdowns, and zero interceptions.
Were the Browns throwing in the towel by trading Flacco? It’s tough to say. They’ve got two rookie quarterbacks on their team in Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders. Going into this season, the Browns didn’t look like Super Bowl contenders. They seemed to be rebuilding. Don’t tell the players that, though. They were likely planning to try to make a push to be competitive.
Perhaps Flacco would’ve given the Browns their best chance at competing. However, their organization decided to go in a different direction. The Steelers weren’t thrilled about that, but it is what it is. All they can do is hope to beat the Bengals and Browns when they play both those teams again.
