Joe Flacco ‘not really thinking’ about Bengals demotion as Joe Burrow returns to practice

Joe Flacco isn’t letting Joe Burrow’s looming return bother him. 

The veteran quarterback said he “really [doesn’t] care” that he could soon be relegated to a backup role when the Bengals’ starter comes back from his turf toe injury.

“I don’t know, I think backups probably do it a good amount where they know like, ‘Hey, this guy’s coming back, he’s got a three-week injury or whatever it is,'” Flacco said, according to The Cincinnati Enquirer. “I’m honestly not really thinking about it. It’s not really a part of my process. I really don’t care. It’s this week, and that’s all that matters. And I think to think about that stuff would just be a distraction. So it’s not really something I’m worried about.

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Flacco (16) speaks after his team’s loss to the Chicago Bears in an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 2, 2025, in Cincinnati. AP

“Like I said, I’m just worried about doing my job, and this week that’s going out and playing against Pittsburgh.”

Burrow returned to practice with Cincinnati on Monday for the first time since suffering the toe injury in mid-September that required surgery.

Bengals head coach Zac Taylor ruled him out for Week 11 against the Steelers, but Burrow could return for their Nov. 23 bout against the Patriots or four days later, when they head to Baltimore for a Thanksgiving night game.

“I think he’s at a good point. He’s worked hard to get to this point to get back on the field in a limited form,” Taylor said earlier this week.

Joe Burrow of the Cincinnati Bengals looks on prior to the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Paycor Stadium on October 16, 2025 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Getty Images

Flacco, who was traded along with a sixth-round pick from the Browns to the Bengals for a fifth-rounder in early October, has been solid in Burrow’s place. 

The 40-year-old signal-caller has averaged 313.5 passing yards per game with 11 touchdowns and just two interceptions in four starts, dropping three of those four contests with Flacco behind center, thanks in large part to their struggling defense.

Sitting at 3-6, the Bengals are holding out hope that they can make a playoff push.