Sports
Joe Flacco reacts to fresh start with Bengals, shares motivation behind drive to compete in NFL
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Joe Flacco will once again wear a different uniform when he takes the field Sunday. Just a few days ago, the Cleveland Browns traded the veteran quarterback to the in-state rival Cincinnati Bengals.
Cincinnati received Flacco and a sixth-round draft pick in next year’s draft, while Cleveland picked up a fifth-round pick in the trade, multiple outlets reported Tuesday.
On Friday, Flacco spoke to the media for the first time since his arrival in Cincinnati. At one point during the wide-ranging news conference, the Super Bowl winner revealed what keeps him motivated to continue competing in the NFL.
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Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Flacco speaks to the media during a press conference in Cincinnati Friday. (Albert Cesare/The Enquirer/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)
“You only get a chance to play in the NFL once. I feel like I’ve worked really hard to be a guy that gets to play in the NFL, and I don’t want to take that for granted,” the 40-year-old told reporters. “I still feel like I can play the game at a high level, and I want to be able to look at myself in the mirror when I’m 50 years old and say that I gave it everything I had.”
Flacco was named the Bengals’ starter for the team’s Week 6 matchup with the Green Bay Packers. Flacco reacted to the whirlwind he experienced this week.
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“Crazy business,” Flacco said. “You have to be ready for anything. That’s kind of what it was. Definitely didn’t have this on my list of things that were gonna happen. But, hey, that’s this league. And I’m a player. I think most players would say the same thing. I like to play football. If that’s in Cincinnati right now, then I’m all for it.”
Joe Flacco of the Cleveland Browns looks to throw against the Green Bay Packers at Huntington Bank Field Sept. 21, 2025, in Cleveland. (Jason Miller/Getty Images)
The Bengals were hoping to solidify their quarterback room after star player Joe Burrow sustained a toe injury in the season opener. Backup Jake Browning struggled when he was thrust into the starting role. Burrow underwent surgery last month but could return to action later this season.
Flacco said he’s been in contact with the injured Burrow.
Cleveland Browns quarterback Joe Flacco throws during the first half against the Detroit Lions Sept. 28 in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
“I feel like I have a lot to offer a football team,” Flacco added. “I feel like I’ve put in a lot of work to this point. I feel like I’ve worked really hard to be a guy that gets to play in the NFL. I still feel like I can play the game at a high level.”
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Flacco went 1-3 in his four starts with the Browns this season. But he did guide an underdog Cleveland team to a dramatic comeback victory over the Green Bay Packers. Flacco will meet the Packers for a second time this season on Sunday.
Dillon Gabriel was named the Browns’ starter entering Week 5. Shedeur Sanders was listed as the backup quarterback on the Browns’ depth chart after Flacco’s move to Cincinnati. The Pittsburgh Steelers host the Browns Sunday.
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Legendary England batter Geoffrey Boycott on Monday advised the Ben Stokes-led side to adopt a more strategic and thoughtful approach ahead of the second Ashes Test against Australia, scheduled for Thursday in Brisbane.
England suffered an agonising eight-wicket defeat in the series opener in Perth, which lasted less than two days, the first of which was dominated by the touring side as they had reduced the hosts to 123/9 after accumulating 172 all out.
The visitors now face another gruelling challenge in the blockbuster series as they take on the Baggy Greens in a pink-ball Test, in which the hosts boast a dominant record, having lost just one out of their previous 14 appearances, but Boycott, who has won Ashes both in England and Australia, believes that the Three Lions can win the upcoming game by adopting a calculated strategy.
He, however, warned England batters of self-destruction, advising them to “use their brains” and decide whether to attack or hold back after analysing the situation.
“But it doesn’t help our chances of success if Ben Stokes keeps encouraging our batsmen to attack, attack with one finger hovering over the self-destruct button,” Boycott wrote in his Daily Telegraph column.
“Nobody is asking the players to stop being positive because they have given us some marvellous, thrilling and entertaining cricket. All we ask is for them to use their brains and realise there are times when they should throttle back and be aware of situations and bat accordingly,” he added.
Boycott, who represented England in 108 Tests and 36 ODIs, also slammed Stokes for his comments in which he referred to former cricketers as “has-beens” but expressed satisfaction over the all-rounder’s partial apology.
“To call past players ‘has-beens’ was disrespectful, especially as some of those ‘has-beens’ played in teams that won the Ashes in England and Australia,” Boycott wrote.
“I am glad Ben has half apologised, saying it was a slip of the tongue, because none of this team has won the Ashes in Australia. Get the job done, because then you don’t need to say anything and you can bask in all the glory coming your way.”
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