Fact Check: Was Joe Flacco “Sent Home” by The Bengals?

Joe Flacco, 40, is coming off weeks of fighting through a sprained AC joint, a dislocated finger, and the task of trying to drag a sinking Bengals season back to respectability without Tee Higgins or Ja’Marr Chase. Even with a weak shoulder, he nearly engineered a wild comeback against the Patriots before a brutal pick-6 and Cincinnati’s bottom-of-the-league defense sealed yet another loss.

The Bengals’ continued misfortunes have led many to believe that they are nearly done with Flacco.

Claim: A viral rumor circulating online suggested that Joe Flacco posted on Instagram saying that he is “being sent home” by the Bengals.

Source of the rumor: The screenshot originated from several accounts on X, some from sports accounts. It was widely shared by fans online. So is it true?

Verdict: False. The claim that Joe Flacco has been sent home by the Cincinnati Bengals is baseless and false.

There is no such post on Flacco’s verified account, and it didn’t come from anyone connected to the quarterback or the Bengals. The supposed screenshot originated from a satire page that regularly pushes fake sports quotes and edited posts. Yet, many shared it as real so much, so that it started trending across fan circles.

Fans were quick to call out the page for trying to stir up drama in a season already filled with it. Several replies pointed out that the account openly labels itself as satire and that anyone who follows it should know the posts aren’t real.

Flacco’s run with the Bengals hasn’t been perfect. The coverage sack against the Patriots that wiped out a field-goal try, the near-miss turnovers, and the critical interception that he admitted was “a shame” have all added pressure on the quarterback.

But none of it has come from a lack of commitment. If anything, Flacco has displayed more professionalism and toughness than anyone had the right to expect from a 40-year-old who joined the team barely seven weeks ago.

Inside the locker room, his impact has been obvious. Zac Taylor praised him for showing up every week despite injuries that would’ve sidelined most players. He popped his finger back into place mid-game and battled through a shoulder injury while the Bengals cycled through quarterbacks.

With Joe Burrow pushing to return as early as Thanksgiving, Flacco knew his starting run might be ending. Yet he handled it exactly how you’d expect from someone who has been in the league for two decades.

Far from claiming he was being sent home, Flacco was talking about how much the opportunity has meant to him.

“This is what I live to do, is to go out on that field and play football,” he said, emphasizing multiple times that despite the losses, “I’ve had a lot of fun here with these guys in the locker room.”

Flacco reiterated that going out and “lacing them up with these guys has been a lot of fun,” adding he has “felt right at home” and “had a blast doing it.”