The Chicago Bears are emerging from their bye and will look to establish momentum beginning in Week 6. A Monday night matchup with the Washington Commanders would be a good place to start, and winnable games against the New Orleans Saints and Baltimore Ravens could help them get into the NFC North race for the final stretch.
Another game Chicago may have been looking favorable towards is a Nov. 2 matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals. But that game got a lot more interesting when NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero reported that the Bengals have acquired quarterback Joe Flacco in a trade with the Cleveland Browns.
With Flacco’s reputation as a former Super Bowl champion and hired mercenary for teams desperate for quarterback play, the Bengals game could look more menacing after Tuesday’s news. Nevertheless, Bears fans shouldn't worry too much as it is still a winnable matchup.
Joe Flacco Won’t Save the Bengals Ahead of Matchup with Bears
The Bengals made this move because they’re a desperate team. Starting QB Joe Burrow was lost for a minimum of three months as he recovered from turf toe, and backup Jake Browning struggled in his place, completing 64.5% of his passes for 757 yards, six touchdowns, and eight interceptions.
With Brett Rypien the only other option on the roster, the Bengals were forced to trade for Flacco. Although his resume also includes leading the 2023 Browns to an improbable playoff spot, an encore is unlikely with the Bengals based on his performance this season.
In four starts this season, Flacco completed just 58.1% of his passes for two touchdowns and six interceptions. While he led the Browns to an upset victory over the Green Bay Packers, he was also benched for rookie Dillon Gabriel after a loss to the Detroit Lions in Week 4. His departure is also notable as the Browns promoted fellow rookie Shedeur Sanders to the No. 2 spot.
Losing your job to one rookie is a red flag. Losing your job to two rookies and getting shipped out of town is a giant flare lighting up the sky. Understandably, the Bengals would want an upgrade since Browning has resorted to chucking balls. But it’s fair to question if they accomplished that by acquiring a veteran who appears to be washed up.
Acquiring Flacco also doesn’t fix the Bengals’ biggest problem on offense, as Cincinnati’s offensive line ranked dead last in Pro Football Focus’s offensive line rankings ahead of Week 5. The Bengals did nothing to disprove that ranking against the Detroit Lions, allowing Browning to be pressured on 40% of his dropbacks and eat a pair of sacks.
Flacco could light this take on fire if he performs well over the next several weeks. But Chicago fans won’t have to worry about the Bears’ potential runway running into an aging roadblock.