Joe Flacco enters the 2026 season as Joe Burrow’s backup, but the veteran still sees himself as a starter.

Joe Flacco doesn’t mince his words. This could be due to the financial independence of playing in the NFL since 2008 and still being in demand at the age of 41.

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Flacco will also be the backup to Joe Burrow for the Cincinnati Bengals in 2026.

It’s actually not a bad situation if you can end your career like this. But not for Flacco, because he still sees himself as a starter. And he has now made it very clear that he would like to be the leader of a team once again.

Because he can’t understand why teams missed the chance to sign him as a potential number one.

“Believe me, I wish I was that guy somewhere,” Flacco said, according to ESPN. “And I think teams are stupid for not letting me be that guy.”

But that’s not it.

Flacco added: “The fact that I’m not one of the guys signing somewhere, yeah, that pisses me off a little bit.” At least he also said something positive about the Bengals: “But at the same time, I’m very happy to be here.”

Joe Flacco: A nice million-dollar consolation

He actually impressed in six starts for the Bengals last season as a replacement for the injured Burrow, racking up 1,664 passing yards, 13 touchdowns and four interceptions with a completion rate of 61.7 percent. Nevertheless, that was not enough for a chance as a starter.

But it was enough for a new contract with the Bengals. According to ESPN, it will earn him six million dollars, and up to nine million dollars with bonuses. Not bad for a backup.