Joe Flacco wasn’t supposed to be the man in Cincinnati, but with Joe Burrow’s shadow looming, the veteran quarterback is making it clear he’s not just a placeholder, he’s a Bengal. After Burrow’s injury, the team turned to veteran Joe Flacco to keep their campaign alive in a rare mid-season trade for the team. Now, even with Burrow inching closer to a return, the 40-year-old recently reaffirmed his commitment to the Bengals.

“It gives you the feeling that this is what I am. I belong here; this is what I want to do. This is what I belong doing,” Flacco recently expressed in a press conference.

After a disappointing start to their campaign, the Cincinnati Bengals have continued to struggle, currently sitting in third place in the AFC North with a 3-6 record. With a poor defense and inconsistent offense, veteran QB Joe Flacco has emerged as one of the few silver linings so far. The former Baltimore Ravens QB, despite having a 1-3 record in his four starts, has provided enough offensive firepower to make some believe that he still is among the top shot-callers in the league.

With Bengals QB1 Joe Burrow nearing a return from his turf-toe injury, questions were raised about how long this Flacco resurgence will continue. When Flacco joined the Bengals after being traded from divisional rivals, the Cleveland Browns, he would have been aware of being a backup once Burrow returned.

However, this didn’t deter the veteran as he has recorded 112 completions, 1254 passing yards, and 11 touchdowns with the team. Ahead of Burrow’s green light to start, Flacco is expected to have a milestone game start in his next outing. But that’s not necessarily on his mind. His focus remains on the upcoming divisional clash against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Fresh off an injury, Flacco is closing in on his 200th career start

The Week 11 game against the Steelers will be another major milestone for Flacco, as it will be his 200th start in his career. Ahead of the game, Flacco spoke about what he’s thinking about Burrow’s injury status and whether he knows how long he’ll start games.

“It’s this week, and that’s all that matters. To think about that stuff would be a distraction,” Flacco asserted. “I’m just worried about doing my job. And this week’s that’s going out and playing against Pittsburgh.”

Over an illustrious 18-year career, Joe Flacco has produced numerous jaw-dropping moments, including his recent performance against the New York Jets. Playing with an injured AC joint in his throwing arm, Flacco threw a career-high 470 yards and four touchdowns, becoming the first 40-year-old in NFL history to have such numbers, according to ESPN.

Gearing up for his upcoming 200th start, fans would wonder if  Joe Flacco would have a magical performance like on his 100th consecutive regular-season start. On that day, playing for the Ravens in 2014, Flacco led Baltimore to a blowout 38-10 win over the Carolina Panthers.

A Joe Flacco special could certainly be on the card as the QB is recovering well from his recent injury. Speaking at a recent press conference, Flacco revealed that his shoulder “feels good” thanks to a Bye Week after the Bears game.

“It was definitely good to have a whole week and get some rest and feel like I was making progress with it, which I did. It was sore (after the game), but it wasn’t to the point where it was creating an issue,” Flacco said in the conference.

With Flacco having enough time to recover, the Cincinnati-Pittsburgh clash could be another classic with two ambitious teams locking horns in a crucial game concerning the AFC North title race.