Overview

• Mike Tomlin called the Browns’ decision to send Joe Flacco to Cincinnati “shocking,” directly questioning GM Andrew Berry’s rationale before Pittsburgh’s Thursday visit to the Bengals.
• Cleveland traded Flacco and a 2026 sixth-round pick to the Bengals for a 2026 fifth-rounder, an uncommon intra-division move that drew leaguewide attention.
• Flacco started days after the trade and went 29-of-45 for 219 yards with two touchdowns and no turnovers in a 27-18 loss to Green Bay, replacing struggling backup Jake Browning with Joe Burrow sidelined by turf toe.
• Tomlin said the move “made sense” for Cincinnati and suggested it is reasonable to expect Flacco to look significantly better in his second game with the Bengals.
• The Browns fell to 1-5 with a 23-9 loss to Pittsburgh as rookie Dillon Gabriel was sacked six times and hit 16 times behind an injury-thinned line, extending scrutiny of Kevin Stefanski’s offense.