Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase seems like he is keeping his expectations fairly tempered as he heads into Week 6 with a new quarterback.
Joe Flacco has begun practicing with the Bengals after the team acquired him in a trade with the Cleveland Browns on Tuesday. The plan is for Flacco to start against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday.
During his media availability on Thursday, Chase was asked for his first impressions of his new teammate. The All-Pro wideout called Flacco “one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play.”
“Everybody knows who he is, one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play. We had some good reps in today, getting a good feel of the offense,” Chase said. “He calls the plays a little fast, so that was something new just hearing. But, other than that, he’s pretty smooth.”
Chase was then asked for his initial reaction to the news that the Bengals had acquired Flacco. He said he first heard about it from Tee Higgins and thought his teammate was messing with him. Chase also said he appreciates that Cincinnati’s front office is trying to salvage the season even with Joe Burrow potentially out for the year.
“I actually didn’t see nothing. Tee called me first and I was like, ‘You BS’ing me.’ I didn’t really know what was going on. I thought Tee was just playing with me,” Chase said. “Then like an hour later, Zac called me and told me what was going on. It was just a lot going on, but I’m enjoying it. I appreciate that the organization’s trying to make this work, so we gotta make it work.”
Ja’Marr Chase on #Bengals trade for Joe Flacco: “I appreciate the organization trying to make this work.”
— James Rapien (@JamesRapien) October 9, 2025
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Chase probably is not ecstatic to have Flacco as his new quarterback. The 40-year-old was benched by the Browns last week, though the Bengals have a much better roster and better offensive weapons with Chase, Higgins and running back Chase Brown.
Judging by some of the things they have said in recent weeks, it’s safe to assume Bengals fans are thrilled that they no longer have to rely on Jake Browning to keep their team in games. Even if Flacco does not become a savior in Cincinnati, it is hard to imagine him playing much worse than Browning did.
