​Joe Burrow and Joe Flacco Give Bengals One of NFL’s Best QB Rooms, but 49ers Rank Higher
At first glance, it would be easy to argue that the Cincinnati Bengals have the best quarterback room in the NFL. Joe Burrow remains one of the premier players in football and one of the top quarterbacks in the league when healthy. Behind him, Cincinnati has Joe Flacco, a former Super Bowl MVP and a veteran passer who has proven he can still step in and operate an offense at a high level. On paper, that combination gives the Bengals an impressive mix of elite talent, experience and stability at the most important position in sports.
However, not everyone views Cincinnati’s quarterback depth chart as the best in the NFL. In a recent CBS Sports ranking, Jordan Dajani placed the San Francisco 49ers’ quarterback room ahead of the Bengals. San Francisco’s group features Brock Purdy, Mac Jones, Adrian Martinez and Kurtis Rourke. That four-man depth chart was ranked higher than Cincinnati’s group led by Burrow and Flacco, with Josh Johnson and Sean Clifford also in the mix.
The ranking is sure to spark debate among Bengals fans. Burrow has already established himself as one of the league’s most talented and productive quarterbacks. When he is on the field and protected, Cincinnati’s offense has the ability to compete with any team in the NFL. His accuracy, poise, toughness and ability to perform in high-pressure moments have made him the centerpiece of the franchise and one of the faces of the league.
Flacco, meanwhile, gives the Bengals one of the most recognizable backup quarterbacks in football. While he is no longer in his prime, he brings years of starting experience, playoff success and a Super Bowl championship pedigree. For a team with championship expectations, having a backup quarterback with that type of résumé is a major asset. Few teams can claim to have a former Super Bowl MVP sitting behind their starter.
Still, the CBS Sports analysis did not focus only on the depth chart. The writeup also criticized the Bengals for how they have handled Burrow’s prime years, especially when it comes to protecting him and maximizing the talent around him.
“This franchise needs to stop wasting the prime years of its elite weapons,” Dajani wrote. “Burrow is actually the only quarterback in NFL history to register a 100+ passer rating while making zero playoff starts in a three-season span. He’s also been the most-sacked quarterback (242) since entering the league in 2020, if we include sacks taken in the playoffs.”
That criticism highlights one of the biggest storylines surrounding the Bengals in recent years. Burrow has been brilliant when available, but injuries and offensive line issues have repeatedly impacted Cincinnati’s seasons. Since entering the NFL in 2020, Burrow has taken a tremendous amount of punishment. The Bengals have made efforts to improve the offensive line, but the overall results have not always matched the investment.
To Cincinnati’s credit, the team appears to understand the urgency. The Bengals have operated with a win-now mindset and have made moves designed to keep their championship window open. With Burrow under center and star playmakers around him, Cincinnati clearly believes it has the core needed to contend in the AFC. Adding a proven veteran like Flacco only reinforces the idea that the Bengals want to be prepared for any scenario at quarterback.
As for the comparison with the 49ers, it may come down to preference and how much value is placed on depth beyond the top two spots. San Francisco has a strong overall quarterback room, led by Purdy, who has been highly efficient in Kyle Shanahan’s system. Jones also provides starting experience as a backup, while Martinez and Rourke give the 49ers developmental options. That depth may have helped push San Francisco ahead in the CBS Sports ranking.
Even so, Cincinnati’s case is hard to ignore. Burrow is still Burrow, and very few quarterbacks in the NFL can match his ceiling. Pairing him with Flacco gives the Bengals one of the strongest starter-backup combinations in the league. While Johnson and Clifford may not dramatically move the needle in national rankings, they also are unlikely to be the reason Cincinnati’s quarterback room is viewed as anything less than elite.
The Bengals have also had a strong history of finding and developing quarterbacks through the draft. From franchise passers to capable backups, Cincinnati has often identified talent at the position better than it gets credit for. That track record adds another layer to the discussion when evaluating the organization’s quarterback depth.
Ultimately, the debate over the NFL’s best quarterback room is subjective. The 49ers may have earned the nod from CBS Sports because of their total depth and recent success, but the Bengals remain firmly in the conversation because of Burrow’s elite status and Flacco’s experience. If Burrow stays healthy and Cincinnati’s offensive line holds up, the Bengals’ quarterback room could easily look like the best in football by the end of the 2026 season.