Chad Johnson’s Blunt Message To Joe Flacco After Bengals Trade
Posted October 8, 2025
The Cincinnati Bengals crossed enemy lines on Tuesday, hoping to put an end to their quarterback fiasco.
After three consecutive losses with Jake Browning under center, the team struck a deal with the Cleveland Browns for veteran Joe Flacco — a move equal parts risky and necessary for a franchise staring at a lost season without Joe Burrow.
The Bengals are 2-3 and desperate to steady the ship before it sinks completely. Flacco, a 40-year-old former Super Bowl MVP and longtime Ravens nemesis, now becomes the unlikely QB1 in Cincinnati.
Amid all the chatter about picks, trades, and cap implications, former Bengals WR Chad Johnson and franchise supporter cut through the noise like a laser.
Within minutes of Flacco landing in Cincinnati, he fired off a tweet that said more than a dozen press releases ever could:
“Joe Flacco, throw it to Chase & Higgins‼️” In one sentence, he summed up exactly what every fan was thinking.
In vintage Ocho flair, he laid out the truth. This offense thrives only when Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins are fed.
Mike White Out, Flacco In, Bengals QB Room in Flux
The Flacco deal capped a whirlwind 48 hours for Cincinnati. On Tuesday, the team released quarterback Mike White from the practice squad, ending a short-lived stint that began when Burrow went down with a turf toe injury in Week 2. White never took a snap, but his presence was meant as insurance in an already fragile quarterback room.
That left Browning and Brett Rypien as the only options under center. Browning’s performance over three consecutive losses was steady in the numbers but catastrophic in results. Against the Detroit Lions, Cincinnati fell behind 28-3 before a late flurry of touchdowns made the final score (37-24) look closer than the game felt. The turnovers piled up, leaving the Bengals’ hopes in peril.
Head coach Zac Taylor had been noncommittal about sticking with Browning, and Tuesday’s trade answered the question — for now.
Flacco, along with a sixth-round pick in 2026, arrives to the Bengals in exchange for a fifth-round pick.
Browning is expected to slide into a backup role while Flacco takes first-team reps this week ahead of the critical Week 6 road matchup against the Green Bay Packers.
Jameis Winston… And What Could Have Been
While Flacco is now in Cincinnati, Chad Johnson’s previous Twitter/X post of a GIF pointing to Jameis Winston earlier on Tuesday remains a talking point.
The former No. 1 overall pick currently serves as a backup with Russell Wilson for New York Giants rookie Jaxson Dart, but Johnson’s playful nudge underscores a larger truth: the Bengals need a gunslinger quarterback capable of stabilizing the offense and delivering the ball to their elite weapons.
Winston, with over 24,000 career passing yards and a league-leading passing season on his resume, represents exactly the type of talent Cincinnati lacks while Burrow is out. But Zac Taylor and the Bengals ultimately viewed Flacco as the most suitable and realistic fit for the scheme.
It’s less about Winston specifically and more about the template he represents — a proven arm who can make reads quickly, trust his receivers, and limit turnovers. That’s precisely what Flacco is being asked to do, albeit with a much shorter leash.
The Bengals offense still boasts Chase, Higgins, and Chase Brown — all of whom thrive when given a competent quarterback.
Flacco’s job is to stay upright and get the ball to the playmakers. However, it could prove difficult behind a struggling offensive line.
Chiefs' Week 5 Loss Should Seal Harrison Butker's Fate in KC
Harrison Butker is the most accurate field goal kicker in Kansas City Chiefs history, but that past success can only carry him so far.
The Monday Night Football loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 5 was easily the most frustrating loss of the season for the Kansas City Chiefs. A comedy of errors, undisciplined plays, and an overall lack of execution gave the Chiefs their third loss of the season. Near the top of the list of factors to blame is veteran kicker Harrison Butker.
In a game where he wasn't relied on to kick any field goals, Butker still somehow found a way to cost the Chiefs the game. With less than two minutes remaining and the Chiefs leading by four, Butker kicked the kickoff out of bounds for a penalty and gave the Jaguars excellent field position at 40. From there, it didn't take long for Trevor Lawrence to score the game-winning touchdown.
Chiefs Fans Are Losing Their Patience with Harrison Butker
Butker is not only one of the most experienced kickers in the league, but he is also the highest-paid one. A mistake that simple so late in the game is simply inexcusable, especially considering how much the 30-year-old has been struggling all season to begin with.
The nine-year veteran has already missed two extra points this season, and is 10-of-13 on his field goal attempts. Special teams coordinator Dave Toub addressed these concerns earlier in the week, saying that they will keep working with Butker to "get more consistency." Yet, the only consistent thing the Chiefs are getting from Butker is misses, mistakes, and frustration.
If this were any other kicker not named Harrison Butker, the Chiefs would have already moved on from him. Perhaps it's understandable that the team thought Butker gave them the best chance to win, considering he remains the most accurate field goal kicker in franchise history. Yet, kicking is such a mental endeavor, and the sample sizes are so small that it, perhaps unfairly, becomes a "what have you done for me lately?" situation relatively quickly.
One quick glance at social media easily highlights how Chiefs fans feel about Butker. There is a significant part of the fanbase that wants Butker released. What complicates matters is his contract. Butker is only in the first year of the four-year, $25.6 million extension he signed in August 2024. The Chiefs simply can't afford to have a dead cap hit of $10.9 million on their books by releasing any kicker, regardless of how disappointing they have been.
Instead, a rare kicker trade involving Butker could be a possibility. At the bare minimum, the Chiefs should bring in competition this week and seriously consider benching Butker in Week 6 against the Lions.
