Joe Flacco Takes Veiled Shot at Atlanta Falcons

The veteran quarterback expressed frustration at not getting more opportunities to start in the NFL this offseason.

Mar. 26, 2026 at 11:06pm

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Joe Flacco, a 41-year-old veteran quarterback, recently re-signed with the Cincinnati Bengals on a $6 million deal (worth up to $9 million) this offseason. Flacco expressed frustration at not getting more opportunities to start for an NFL team this offseason, including with the Atlanta Falcons, who were in the market for a quarterback.

Why it matters

Flacco's comments highlight the challenges veteran quarterbacks can face in finding starting jobs in the NFL, even when they believe they can still perform at a high level. The Falcons' decision to go with Tua Tagovailoa instead of Flacco is also noteworthy, given the history between Flacco and Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski.

The details

Flacco was widely speculated to be a strong candidate to land with the Falcons in free agency, and the quarterback spoke highly of the new regime in Atlanta. However, the Falcons instead went with Tua Tagovailoa. In 2023, Flacco had been bouncing around the NFL before landing in Cleveland, where he was inserted into the starting lineup after an injury to Deshaun Watson. Flacco led the Browns to the playoffs, finishing 4-1 as a starter and winning AP Comeback Player of the Year. The Falcons will now have Tagovailoa compete with Michael Penix Jr. for the starting job this fall.

  • In 2023, Flacco led the Browns to the playoffs, finishing 4-1 as a starter and winning AP Comeback Player of the Year.
  • Flacco re-signed with the Cincinnati Bengals on a $6 million deal (worth up to $9 million) this offseason.

The players

Joe Flacco

A 41-year-old veteran quarterback who recently re-signed with the Cincinnati Bengals on a $6 million deal (worth up to $9 million) this offseason.

Kevin Stefanski

The head coach of the Atlanta Falcons, who previously worked with Flacco when he was the starting quarterback for the Cleveland Browns in 2023.

Tua Tagovailoa

The quarterback the Atlanta Falcons signed this offseason to compete for the starting job, instead of signing Flacco.

Michael Penix Jr.

The quarterback who will compete with Tua Tagovailoa for the starting job with the Atlanta Falcons this fall, as he recovers from a torn ACL.

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What they’re saying

“I think 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 here and still playing and doing all those things. Not being one of those guys to go sign somewhere, yeah, it pisses me off a little bit. But at the same time, I'm very happy to be here.”

— Joe Flacco

“I had a lot of fun with Joe, and Joe's the guy. And believe me, I wish I was the guy somewhere, and I think teams are dumb for not having me be that guy.”

— Joe Flacco

The takeaway

Flacco's comments highlight the challenges veteran quarterbacks can face in finding starting jobs in the NFL, even when they believe they can still perform at a high level. The Falcons' decision to go with Tua Tagovailoa instead of Flacco is also noteworthy, given the history between Flacco and Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski.