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At least one AFC North coach wasn’t happy with two teams trading within the division.
Steelers coach Mike Tomlin voiced his displeasure by mocking Browns GM Andrew Berry for his decision to trade veteran quarterback Joe Flacco to the Bengals last week.
“To be honest, it was shocking to me,” Tomlin said on Monday with Pittsburgh facing Flacco’s new team on “Thursday Night Football” this week.
“Andrew Berry must be a lot smarter than me or us, because it doesn’t make sense to me to trade a quarterback that you think enough of to make your opening starter to a divisional opponent that’s hurting in that area. But that’s just my personal feeling.”
Berry dealt Flacco after the team’s 1-4 start with the 40-year-old already pushed to the bench in favor of third-round rookie Dillon Gabriel.
Berry faced waves of criticism this offseason over the curious decision to draft Shedeur Sanders two rounds after selecting Gabriel.
The two rookies now sit Nos. 1 and 2 on the Browns’ depth chart.
Flacco, who led the Ravens to the Super Bowl in 2013, made his debut for the Bengals in Sunday’s 27-18 loss to the Packers.
Flacco stepped up in the second half after Cincinnati was down 10-0 at the break, completing 29-of-45 passes for 219 yards and two touchdowns.
The Bengals were in disarray at the quarterback position with Joe Burrow out until at least December with a toe injury and Jake Browning struggling to take his place.
The Steelers sit atop the AFC North with a 4-2 mark with the Bengals in second at 2-4 and the Browns and Ravens both 1-5.
Bengals star wideout Ja’Marr Chase warned — in graphic terms — what could happen in the matchup with the Steelers.
“We know the Steelers are going to try to come in and raw-dog us and kill us,” Chase told reporters on Sunday. “But we’re going to be ready for that challenge, and we’re going to be waiting for it.”
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