Quarterback issues continue to find the Cincinnati Bengals.
They lost Joe Burrow early in the season, forcing Jake Browning into the starting role. Browning’s struggles led to the team swinging a deal for Joe Flacco.
The Flacco deal paid off for one week before the veteran suffered an injury that might make the team pivot back to Browning. As the playoff race continues to take shape, Cincinnati is hoping it can stay in striking distance when Burrow potentially returns late in the season.
A 1-5 record in games without Burrow certainly won’t help that case and Flacco’s shoulder ailment is only set to complicate matters even more.
Here’s the latest on Flacco.
Joe Flacco injury update
Flacco is dealing with an AC joint sprain in his throwing shoulder, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. His status for Week 9 against the Chicago Bears is now up in the air.
Head coach Zac Taylor told reporters that Flacco won’t practice on Wednesday, Oct. 29, and they’ll see how the week goes before making a determination on his status for Week 9.
Taylor added that the issue is with Flacco’s throwing shoulder and it’s a painful injury. Since the quarterback arrived just a few weeks ago, Taylor acknowledged that there isn’t enough familiarity to know what Flacco could do with limited reps in practice.
Flacco did tell Taylor he wants to play, adding another layer of intrigue.
The initial injury report will be released on Oct. 29, setting the benchmark for Flacco’s availability. The progress, or potential lack thereof, throughout the remainder of the week will provide some clues into Flacco’s availability for Nov. 2.
Flacco initially left the Bengals’ Week 8 loss prior to the final drive. As the New York Jets were driving for the lead, the quarterback was spotted running up the tunnel to the locker room.
It was reported on the broadcast that he was dealing with a shoulder ailment. While the situation unfolded, Browning started warming up on the sidelines before Flacco returned for the final drive.
Bengals QB depth chart
Joe Burrow (injured)
Joe Flacco
Jake Browning
Sean Clifford (practice squad)
If Flacco can’t start, Browning is next in line to step in as QB1. The Bengals traded for Flacco as a result of Browning’s struggles and a thin QB room.
The current backup has posted an 0-3 record as a starter this season, tossing six touchdowns and eight interceptions in all of his game action.
Clifford is the insurance policy on the practice squad if Flacco is ruled out, but the Bengals continue to hold out hope for Burrow’s potential return later in the season.