Fact Check: Did Joe Flacco Post on Instagram That the Bengals Are Sending Him Home?

The viral claim circulating Sunday morning that Joe Flacco posted on Instagram saying the Bengals are “sending him home” is completely false. There is no such post on his verified account, and it didn’t come from anyone connected to Flacco or the Bengals. The supposed screenshot originated from a satire page that regularly pushes fake sports quotes and edited posts, yet enough people shared it as real 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.

The truth is far more grounded. The 40-year-old Flacco 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.

His run hasn’t been perfect. The coverage sack that wiped out a field-goal try, the near-miss turnovers, and the critical interception that he admitted was “a shame,” 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, popping his finger back into place mid-game, and battling 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. He stepped aside gracefully, kept preparing, and kept reminding everyone that he’s here for the team, not the spotlight.