Joe Flacco looked like an MVP candidate while leading the Cincinnati Bengals to a win on Thursday night, and fans had a sarcastic message for one of the team’s division rivals after the game.
Flacco went 31/47 for 342 yards, 3 touchdowns and no interceptions in the Bengals’ 33-31 Week 7 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio. The 40-year-old quarterback had complete command of the offense, which is remarkable considering he was traded to the Bengals just 10 days prior.
Cincinnati acquired Flacco in an Oct. 7 trade with the Cleveland Browns. The Bengals sent a fifth-round draft pick to Cleveland for Flacco and a sixth-round pick.
Flacco joined the “Thursday Night Football” postgame show on Amazon, and fans who were still at the stadium showered him with chants of “thank you, Cleveland!”
.@Bengals have a fun message for the Browns 🤣 #TNFonPrime pic.twitter.com/gOr4dgE6QK
— NFL on Prime Video (@NFLonPrime) October 17, 2025
The chant was similar to one we heard from fans after a “Thursday Night Football” game earlier this season. Those taunts were directed at Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones because of his decision to trade star pass-rusher Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers. You can see the video here.
Joe Burrow is sidelined until at least December with a foot injury. Jake Browning initially took over as Cincinnati’s starting quarterback after Burrow went down in Week 2, and the results were disastrous. The Bengals then traded for Flacco, who looks like he is going to give them a fighting chance to keep their playoff hopes alive.
Steelers coach Mike Tomlin openly criticized the Browns for trading Flacco to the Bengals, and it is now even easier to see why. It is never a good sign for a team when fans of a division rival are chanting “thank you.”
