Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Flacco shares a promising injury update ahead of Week 9, but there is a catch.

Bengals quarterback Joe Flacco sounds like he’ll be ready to play on Sunday against the Bears. Although Flacco was limited in practice on Wednesday because of an injured throwing shoulder, he practiced in full on Thursday and said on Friday that the shoulder is in good shape.

CINCINNATI — Joe Flacco returned to the practice field on Thursday afternoon as the Bengals hope for him to be under center this Sunday against the Bears. His top passcatcher, Ja'Marr Chase, didn't see any difference in the QB's arm.

The Browns did what seemed to be the right thing. They benched Flacco in favor of rookie Dillon Gabriel, and traded Flacco and a 2026 sixth-round pick in-state for a 2026 fifth-round pick to the Bengals on October 7. Flacco was quickly named the Bengals’ starter, because what other choice did the Bengals have?

The statuses of two prominent Bengals defensive leaders remains up in the air ahead of the Cincinnati-Chicago game.

Joe Flacco has been with the Bengals just three weeks and already is encroaching on one of Joe Burrow's more impressive franchise records.