Joe Flacco calls teams ‘dumb’ for not signing him: Who missed out?

The Cincinnati Bengals will run things back at the backup quarterback spot in 2026 with Joe Flacco returning to the group on a one-year deal. The 41-year-old embraced the role in his Wednesday press conference but admitted that if another team offered him a starting job, he would have jumped at the opportunity.

Flacco proved last season that he still has some gas left in the tank, as he earned his first career Pro Bowl selection after filling in for an injured Joe Burrow in six games. He also made four starts with the Cleveland Browns in what turned out to be his busiest year since 2017 when he started all 16 games for the Baltimore Ravens.

“Believe me, I wish I was a guy somewhere,” Flacco said. “I think teams are dumb for not having me be that guy, but it is what it is. I’m not going to let them or it get me down. I’m going to be the person I am and just approach football the way I always have.”

It was not as though Flacco took the NFL by storm in his surprisingly active 2025 season — he ranked 25th among qualified players in QBR and went just 2-8 across stints with the Bengals and Browns — but he was about as effective as he has been since the end of his Ravens tenure.

No team looked at his 60.3% completion rate, 2,479 yards, 15 touchdowns and 10 interceptions and deemed him worthy of a starting position in 2026. But the Bengals showed enough confidence in him to retain him as a fill-in option for a quarterback in Burrow who has missed extensive time in three of his six seasons.

“Who knows what those teams were thinking, anyway?” Flacco said. “Whether I was on their radar or not, I have no idea. It’s not really for me to decide. I can get caught up in all that and say ‘Why not me?’ and all that and be bitter about it.

“Listen, maybe part of that does motivate me to still do what I’m doing. I probably do feel that way. I feel like I have unfinished business. That’s part of why I’m still here playing and doing all those things. Not being one of those guys to go sign somewhere, yeah, it pisses me off a little bit.”

A plethora of teams could have brought Flacco in as either a bridge to a younger quarterback or an affordable veteran to heighten the competition in their rooms. Instead, most found better deals or stuck with what they know.

Did they make the right choice? Let’s evaluate each situation.

Miami Dolphins

Malik Willis was one of the hottest names in free agency and found a home with the Miami Dolphins on a three-year, $67.5 million contract, on which he will attempt to prove that he is finally a starting-caliber quarterback. The problem is that the Dolphins proceeded to blow things up around him, leaving him with few weapons and potentially setting him up to fizzle out and return to the world of backups. If the Dolphins knew all along that they were punting on the 2026 season, it could have made more sense to save a great deal of cash (as they are already in a tough financial situation) and gone with a low-ceiling quarterback in Flacco.

Verdict: Should’ve signed Flacco

New York Jets

It was abundantly clear that the New York Jets did not have a franchise quarterback on their roster heading into 2026, so they went the logical route of finding a one-year stopgap who can set the stage for a draft pick (either this year or next) to step into the top role. Flacco would have served that purpose just fine. Had Geno Smith not been there for the taking in what amounts to a reunion with the team that drafted him, the Jets would have benefited wonderfully from Flacco’s services. In the end, they went with a near clone with whom they have more familiarity.

Verdict: Neutral

Arizona Cardinals

Much like the Jets, this is shaping up to be a lost year for the Arizona Cardinals by design. The Cardinals are committed to tanking and earning a top pick in what looks to be a quarterback-loaded 2027 draft, so they handed the keys to the offense to Jacoby Brissett. He and Flacco posted nearly identical QBRs last year (41.2 and 41.0, respectively), so there was no need for the Cardinals to look outside the organization for their temporary signal-caller solution. Flacco would have likely saved them a couple million dollars, but it’s splitting hairs.

Verdict: Neutral

Pittsburgh Steelers

The worst-kept secret in the NFL is that if Aaron Rodgers decides to play another year, it will be with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He and Flacco are practically mirror images of each other at this advanced stage in their careers, but Rodgers has an existing connection with Mike McCarthy that makes him the more logical fit if the Steelers go with an aging veteran. If Rodgers retires, it’s a different story. But it’s too late now.

Verdict: At the mercy of Rodgers

Cleveland Browns

Flacco opened 2025 as the Cleveland Browns’ starter before they traded him to their in-state foe and turned the page to a pair of rookies in Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders. Neither of the youngsters looked all that convincing as long-term solutions to this constant revolving door of quarterbacks, but the Browns likely feel it is too early to cut bait. They figure to lose with either second-year player or Flacco running the offense, so they might as well try to develop Sanders and Gabriel in the process. It’s bleak.

Verdict: Better off with Sanders, Gabriel

Atlanta Falcons

Who spends the majority of 2026 as the Atlanta Falcons’ starter is anyone’s guess. One thing is known, though, and it is that the Falcons still want to win. The Tua Tagovailoa reclamation project could accomplish that goal. Keeping Michael Penix Jr. healthy and developing him into the star they want (or wanted) him to be is another path to success. Flacco would not have been a long-term answer, whereas both weapons in this group could reasonably stick in the lineup beyond 2026.

Verdict: Better off with Penix, Tagovailoa

Las Vegas Raiders

The Las Vegas Raiders made it obvious when they released Geno Smith that they are going all-in on Fernando Mendoza from the jump. The projected No. 1 overall pick will slot right in as their starter in Week 1. If they wanted a bridge option, they would have just kept Smith around for another year and eased Mendoza into the lineup. As such, Flacco was probably an afterthought.

Verdict: Better off with Mendoza

Minnesota Vikings

It would be hard to say any franchise outside of the Minnesota Vikings made a better quarterback move in free agency. Not only did they potentially solve their J.J. McCarthy problem, but they did so at a minimal price with Kyler Murray taking the veteran minimum. In a best-case outcome, Murray stays healthy and reestablishes himself as a top-half quarterback in the NFL. Worst case, the Vikings are out just $1.3 million and give McCarthy another year to develop. As long as Murray was an option, Flacco was not.

Verdict: Better off with Murray