Joe Flacco responds to Mike Tomlin taking shot at Browns GM Andrew Berry over QB trade

Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin made headlines this week after calling out Cleveland Browns general manager Andrew Berry for the decision to trade Joe Flacco to the Cincinnati Bengals. But according to Flacco, it could just be a tactic to talk up the compeition during game week.

With Flacco and the Bengals set to play Pittsburgh on Thursday night, the QB responded after Tomlin called the decision to trade him “shocking” and joked that “Andrew Berry must be a lot smarter than me.” The veteran QB has been around too long and sees right through what the coach is trying to do.

“I didn’t get to see how upset he was, but you know I think he’s probably just playing the game a little bit and you know doing whatever he has to do,” Flacco said according to NBC’s Pro Football Talk.

Flacco started the first four weeks of the season for the Browns before being benched for rookie Dillon Gabriel in Week 5. The Steelers defeated Gabriel and Cleveland by a score of 23-9 this past week.

Now they’ll get the chance to face off against Flacco, who was 29-of-45 passing for 219 yards and a pair of touchdowns in his Bengals debut last week. He’s in his 18th NFL season and has started 196 games for six different teams in that span.

Tomlin knows all too well how dangerous Flacco can still be, as the QB led the Indianapolis Colts to a 27-24 victory against the Steelers last season. He entered the game for an injured Anthony Richardson, throwing for 168 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

The Browns got back a 2026 fifth-round pick and also gave up a 2026 sixth-round pick along with Flacco to the Bengals. Cincinnati had started Jake Browning the previous four weeks after starter Joe Burrow suffered a toe injury.

“It certainly made sense from Cincinnati’s perspective,” Tomlin said. “…He can throw the football, and he’s always been able to throw the football — arm strength, arm accuracy, anticipatory passer, fluid movement through progressions. That’s always been his game.”

The Bengals will have to rely on Flacco for the foreseeable future, as Burrow is still expected to be out at least two more months. That includes this week against Pittsburgh, much to the disliking of Tomlin. We’ll see whether Flacco can pull off another win against the Steelers when the game kicks off at 8:15 p.m. ET on Thursday in Cincinnati.