Bengals’ Joe Flacco dealing with shoulder injury: QB is ’50-50′ for Week 9 game vs. Bears

CINCINNATI — Quarterback Joe Flacco has brought new life to the Cincinnati Bengals offense since being traded over from the rival Cleveland Browns, but he is now dealing with an injury that could affect his availability moving forward. Flacco suffered an AC joint sprain in his throwing shoulder that could impact his status for Cincinnati’s Week 9 showdown against Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears, per NFL Media.

If Flacco cannot go, Jake Browning would likely return to the starting lineup. The Bengals also have Sean Clifford on their practice squad.

During a press conference on Wednesday, Bengals coach Zac Taylor said there was a ’50-50′ chance that Flacco would be able to play. 

“He won’t practice today,” Taylor said. “We’ll see what we can potentially get out of him [on Thursday]. We’ll just work through the week. I think right now it’s 50-50 on what it will end up on Sunday.”

If Flacco doesn’t practice at all this week, Taylor said he’d still be open to starting him on Sunday if the 40-year-old felt good enough to go. 

“I’ve seen him show up three days with no knowledge of our offense whatsoever,” Taylor said when asked if he would be comfortable playing Flacco after a week with zero practice reps. “I think that proof is out there that we could do it if we needed to.”

Flacco was traded to the Bengals on Oct. 7 and then started a Week 6 game for them just five days later in a 27-18 loss to the Green Bay Packers. In Week 7, he had to to turn around and play a Thursday game against the Steelers and he ended up throwing for 342 yards and three touchdowns in a 33-31 win that came after just two days practice. 

The Bengals are coming off a tough, 39-38 loss to the New York Jets, in which they blew a 15-point fourth-quarter lead. The Cincinnati defense allowed one of the worst offenses in the NFL to rack up a total of 502 yards of total offense, and score 23 points in the final quarter. Still, Flacco impressed as the Bengals’ new “Joe Burrow,” accounting for eight total touchdowns compared to zero turnovers in his first three starts for Cincy. 

Joe Flacco vs. Jake Browning through three starts

Flacco’s arrival has also been good for superstar wideout Ja’Marr Chase, who has caught 38 passes for 346 yards and two touchdowns on 54 targets in Flacco’s three starts. According to CBS Sports Research, those 38 receptions are tied for the most in a three-game span all-time with Michael Thomas in 2018, and the 54 targets are the most in a three-game span over the last 45 seasons. 

The 3-5 Bengals are No. 2 in the AFC North behind the 4-3 Pittsburgh Steelers. The 2-5 Baltimore Ravens also appear to be on the rise, as two-time NFL MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson is expected to make his return to the lineup this Thursday night against the Miami Dolphins.