This story has been updated with new information, including the team's official announcement.

Joe Flacco started for the Browns against the Cincinnati Bengals in the season opener . Now, he could be starting for the Bengals sooner rather than later.

The Browns are sending Flacco, their former starting quarterback, and a sixth-round pick in 2026 to their in-state AFC North rivals in Cincinnati in exchange for a 2026 fifth-round pick, the team officially announced shortly after it was initially reported.

The sixth-round pick originally belonged to the Detroit Lions , but was sent to the Browns in the Za'Darius Smith trade .

The move is the first trade ever between the Browns and Bengals organizations, since the infamous A.J. McCarron deal fell through in 2017 because the Browns

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