Insider Drops Telling Hint on Joe Burrow’s Return as Bengals Thrive With Joe Flacco

If you had “Joe Flacco saves the Cincinnati Bengals’ season” on your 2025 bingo card, congratulations — you’re either clairvoyant or related to a scout in the AFC North.

Somehow, in a year that looked ready to slip into the void before Halloween, Cincinnati is back on the rails. The 40-year-old quarterback who was benched by the Cleveland Browns just 20 days ago, walked into Paycor Stadium last Thursday night and delivered a vintage performance — 342 yards and three touchdowns — under the primetime lights against Aaron Rodgers.

The Bengals’ 33–31 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers was more than just a Week 7 statement. It might’ve reopened the door for the most dramatic finish imaginable — Joe Burrow’s return.

“He Really Might”: Ian Rapoport Adds Fuel to the Comeback Fire

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport didn’t sound like a man guessing. When he spoke Monday on ESPN’s This Is Football with Kevin Clark, he sounded like someone who’d seen enough to believe the door is cracked open.

“He really might, and I don’t know that it’s going to be December 10th,” Rapoport said. “My guess is the last two or three games of the season, he has a chance. But if they’re alive, then I think we really may see Burrow.”

The key phrase “if they’re alive” is everything here.

With Thursday night’s win, Cincinnati moved to 3–4 and snapped a four-game skid. That’s not exactly playoff footing, but it’s enough to keep Burrow’s potential return relevant. The Bengals have a chance to play their way into the conversation with a stretch against the Jets, Cardinals, and Browns — a manageable slate if Flacco can keep the offense steady.

The optics of it would be almost poetic. Flacco handing the keys to Burrow, one quarterback passing the torch back to the other in December, just as the Bengals claw their way toward the postseason.

Bengals’ Playoff Chances Look Real Again

There’s no sugarcoating it — Flacco has looked sharp. He’s calm in the pocket, accurate downfield, and confident enough to test defenses that spent the last month teeing off on Jake Browning.

More than that, he’s brought command to Zac Taylor’s offense (even if he’s been improvising on some occasions).

The Bengals scored on seven of their last eight possessions against Pittsburgh. Ja’Marr Chase broke his own franchise record with 16 catches for 161 yards and a touchdown, while Tee Higgins looked like his old self with six for 96 and another score. Even Chase Brown hit 108 rushing yards.

That’s not luck — that’s rhythm, something the Bengals haven’t felt since Week 2.

But here’s the rub. NFL executives aren’t buying this as a long-term solution. Four team officials told The Athletic that Flacco’s success probably won’t hold up once defenses adjust.

“They have elite wideouts, so they’ll have a chance to exploit defenses that aren’t good enough,” one exec said. “But once teams adjust, we’ll see how much Flacco can counterpunch.”

He’s the second-oldest active QB in the NFL behind Rodgers, but he’s still relatively new to Taylor’s system. Defensive coordinators could catch up quickly. Still, even skeptics agree he’s the right bridge. His leadership, decisiveness, and experience against even the most daunting schemes have stabilized a locker room that was sliding fast.

And that might be all Cincinnati needs — a bridge.

If Flacco can keep them near .500, Burrow’s comeback suddenly drives the expectations further. Rapoport’s “last two or three games” timeline would align perfectly with a Week 16, 17, 18 push against the Miami Dolphins, Arizona Cardinals and Cleveland Browns. As it currently stands, those teams are quite beatable.

There’s something quintessentially Bengals about all this — chaos turning into opportunity. They looked finished just a few weeks ago. Now, they’ve got a pulse, a and the faint sound of No. 9’s cleats getting closer.

For now, the two Joes — one a temporary savior, the other a franchise cornerstone — might just be writing the most unexpected comeback story in the NFL.

Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.

This article was originally published on Heavy Sports

The post Insider Drops Telling Hint on Joe Burrow’s Return as Bengals Thrive With Joe Flacco appeared first on Heavy Sports.

(Visited 2 times, 2 visits today)

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *