Lamar Jackson's much-anticipated return from injury was short-lived, as the two-time NFL MVP suffered a right-thumb injury on the Baltimore Ravens' first offensive play against the Buffalo Bills. The injury will require surgery and send Jackson to injured reserve.
Baltimore's injury woes deepened when QB2 Tyler Huntley suffered a toe injury, reportedly feared to be turf toe, leaving undrafted rookie Joe Fagnano to finish the 36-10 loss to Buffalo.
In the aftermath, several NFL voices pointed to a familiar name as a potential solution: former Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco, now with the Cincinnati Bengals.
Former NFL player Kurt Benkert floated a familiar solution to the Ravens' quarterback problems.
"Joe Flacco back to the Ravens is inevitable," Benkert wrote .
Mike Fast also urged Baltimore to explore a trade for Flacco.
"I'm being 100% serious: is there anyway the Ravens can trade for Joe Flacco?" Fast suggested .
Sports columnist Ryan O'Halloran went a step further, predicting that the Ravens would trade for Flacco and start him against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
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"Prediction: Joe Flacco will be traded to Baltimore and start against Jaguars on Thursday night," O'Halloran posted .
Ben Jacobs also pointed to the veteran quarterback as a potential solution to Baltimore's problems.
"It's @JoeFlacco time. I trust @stavvybaby to step in and handle negotiations for the Ravens in this matter," Jacobs posted .
Others joined in with more exaggerated trade proposals, including a suggestion that Baltimore send two first-round picks to acquire Flacco.
"Joe Flacco for 2 firsts," the post read .
The Ravens selected Flacco No. 18 overall in the 2008 NFL Draft. With Kyle Boller sidelined by a shoulder injury and Troy Smith dealing with a serious illness, Flacco was named Baltimore's Week 1 starter and went on to win the fan-voted Diet Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Year award.
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During his time in Baltimore, Flacco helped lead the Ravens to two AFC North titles, three AFC Championship Game appearances, and a Super Bowl championship. He was named Super Bowl XLVII MVP after Baltimore defeated the San Francisco 49ers.
A hip injury opened the door for rookie Lamar Jackson to take over in 2018, and Jackson retained the starting job after Flacco returned. Baltimore traded Flacco to the Denver Broncos the following offseason.
Since leaving Baltimore, Flacco has become a journeyman quarterback and landed with the Bengals during the 2025 season, filling in while Joe Burrow was sidelined.
Flacco finished the 2025 season with 2,479 passing yards, a 60.3% completion rate, 15 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, earning a PFN QB Impact score of 67.8, which ranked No. 33 among quarterbacks.
The veteran quarterback then signed a one-year, $6 million contract with the Bengals in March 2026.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network .
