The Cincinnati Bengals just executed one of the most desperate and surprising moves of the NFL season, benching their current substitute quarterback, Jake Browning , for veteran Joe Flacco . But in the NFL, a week rarely passes without drama, and reports quickly surfaced that Flacco was not the team’s top choice for the trade—a fact that is perhaps unsurprising given Head Coach Zac Taylor ’s previous reluctance to make a change.

After suffering a third straight loss and watching their season prospects melt down, the Bengals’ front office went into emergency mode. They spent two days, Sunday and Monday, calling nearly every team that had a spare quarterback on its roster. This frantic, widespread search clearly indicates that Flacco was the final option, not a direct target.

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