Joe Flacco’s friends thought they had the scoop.
In the aftermath of Jaxson Dart’s season-ending injury, those close to the veteran quarterback texted him to wish him well about his supposed trade to the Giants … that actually did not happen.
“I just get a kick out of it,” Flacco told the Cincinnati Enquirer on Thursday. “Because the (Dart) stuff happened yesterday but it’s obviously not real and not true, but it was good enough to get people, like certain friends of mine and things like that, to get them to text me, ‘Hey, I’ll see you in New York.’
“And I was like, ‘No, guys, you won’t. It’s not true.’ I kind of get a little bit of a kick out of it. I haven’t really given it too much thought at this point.”
Flacco remains the Bengals’ backup quarterback for now, but there are certainly ties to the Giants that make him a logical fit in the team’s search to add another veteran to the mix.
The Giants’ quarterback room currently features veteran Jameis Winston and unproven Jake Haener.
The team needs another quarterback at the bare minimum, and the team has been linked to veterans such as free agent and former 49ers and Raiders starter Jimmy Garoppolo.
Flacco falls in the same category as Garoppolo, although he’s started a game more recently since he took the first snap 10 times last year for the Browns and Bengals.
It certainly helps that Flacco and Giants coach John Harbaugh enjoyed great success together from 2008-18, winning one Super Bowl together with the Ravens.
“You know, I think I would probably,’’ Harbaugh said of adding an experienced quarterback, “but you’ve kind of got to go with what’s available as well. And you never know, if a younger guy becomes available that’s interesting, that would fit — and I think we’re looking at all that.’’
The Giants could also potentially represent the opportunity for Flacco to play more than he would with the Bengals, and teams sometimes will facilitate deals for veteran players in good standing.
“In these cases, it’s not up to me,” Flacco told the Cincinnati Enquirer. “I’m on the Cincinnati Bengals and because of that, that’s my focus. Just being here and doing the things I need to do to get better each day while I’m here and make sure I’m absorbing the game plan and all those things.
“I get a little bit of a kick out of it, but it’s kind of out of my hands.”
There are some potential complications, though.
The Giants are not the only team in need of a quarterback, with the Commanders losing Jayden Daniels likely for several weeks and Bears starter Caleb Williams potentially missing time with a hamstring injury.
Another possible holdup in a Flacco trade is the Bengals need to value their backup quarterback spot since superstar starter Joe Burrow has struggled to stay healthy during his career.
He even alarmed some leading into last week’s win against the Texans due to back tightness.
Flacco has bounced around since his split with the Ravens, spending time with the Bengals, Jets, Browns, Colts and Broncos since the start of the 2019 season.
The Browns traded him to the Bengals last season in a surprising midseason deal, and he could not lead the team to the playoffs.
