Bengals receive Joe Flacco trade projection that makes a deal intriguing originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.The Cincinnati Bengals are heading into the 2026 NFL season with some renewed confidence in their team being able to contend for a Super Bowl.But, regardless of whether this team is contending or not, they should have the phone lines open for a few of their veteran players in case of a trade. One of those is backup quarterback Joe Flacco.And with the Bengals receiving a trade projection from Bleacher Report's Moe Moton on Flacco, a potential deal at such an evaluation would be very intriguing.Joe Flacco projected trade value should intrigue Bengals"Last year, the Browns traded Flacco to the Bengals for a sixth-round pick," Moton writes. "Cincinnati may be able to get multiple late-round picks from a desperate playoff-contending club. Estimated trade value: 2027 fifth-round pick, 2028 fifth-round pick."After Joe Burrow got hurt last season, the Bengals traded a sixth-round pick to the Cleveland Browns to add Flacco as a stopgap. He thrived, and Flacco proved he still is a solid QB in the NFL despite being 41 years old.But the question then becomes, why should the Bengals even trade Flacco? Burrow's injury history suggests Cincinnati should have a good backup QB option, and Flacco is a fan favorite and would be a great one for this team. So, why trade him away?MORE:Bengals fans should worry about second-year linebackers in 2026Well, if the Bengals could get back this kind of value projected by Moton, then they should seriously consider a trade. Adding two fifth-round picks is not an insignificant return in a trade.While yes, the Bengals would turn to a worse back QB option, they could trade less than this value for someone like Tanner McKee, or trust in longtime veteran QB Josh Johnson to be a decent backup if needed.Trading Flacco might not make sense when initially looking at it, but if the Bengals could get the kind of return Moton is projecting, a trade would be a lot more intriguing and hard to turn down than if it were simply one late-round pick.More NFL news:Stefon Diggs linked to Rams, Chiefs, Commanders after Patriots releaseHarold Fannin Jr. will need to prove his worth in Todd Monkens Browns offenseSeahawks Nick Emmanwori can be an All-Pro if he plays better in pass coverageBears need Luther Burden III and Colston Loveland to step up with DJ Moore tradedESPN analyst says if Cade Klubnik gets on the field for Jets it would mean something went wrong