SI.com’s Albert Breer reports the Bengals compiled a list of 13 potential quarterbacks, including Joe Flacco , to acquire to take over for Jake Browning while Joe Burrow is out.

The list of quarterbacks, spearheaded by director of player personnel Duke Tobin , was the following:

Saints QB Derek Carr

Breer said the coaches narrowed the list down to five and wanted to find the best solution to keep them in the AFC playoff race while Burrow gets healthy. Ultimately, they decided on Flacco as the best option because of his ability in the drop back game that can keep the offense close to how it’s run with Burrow under center.

Flacco, 40, is a former first-round pick of the Ravens back in 2008. After over a decade in Baltimore, the Broncos agreed to trade a 2019 fourth-round pick to the Ravens for Flacco.

Flacco was in the fourth year of a six-year, $125 million contract that contained $44 million guaranteed and set to make a base salary of $20.25 million for 2020 when Denver released him with a failed physical designation.

He signed a one-year contract worth $1.5 million and up to $4.5 million with the Jets in 2020 before joining the Eagles in 2021. Philadelphia traded him back to the Jets ahead of the deadline for a conditional sixth-round pick.

Flacco later re-signed with the Jets on a one-year, $3.5 million deal in 2022. He signed on with the Browns during the season in 2023 and parlayed a strong performance into a deal with the Colts in 2024.

He re-signed with Cleveland on a one-year deal this offseason but was traded to the Bengals before Week 6 of the regular season.

In 2025, Flacco has appeared in five games for the Browns and Bengals and completed 59.5 percent of his pass attempts for 1,034 yards, four touchdowns and six interceptions.

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