At least one coach in the AFC North isn’t thrilled about the division teams making trades amongst themselves.
Steelers coach Mike Tomlin voiced his discontent last week, taking aim at Browns GM Andrew Berry for his decision to trade veteran quarterback Joe Flacco to the Bengals.
“Honestly, it was shocking,” Tomlin commented during a press conference on Monday. This week, Pittsburgh will face Flacco’s new team in a “Thursday Night Football” matchup.
Tomlin continued, “Andrew Berry should be a lot smarter than me and us, because it doesn’t make sense to me to trade a quarterback who is respected as a starting option to a divisional rival in need of help in that position. But that’s just my personal feeling.”
After starting the season 1-4, Berry opted to release Flacco, benching the 40-year-old in favor of rookie Dillon Gabriel, who was picked in the third round.
This offseason, Berry drew criticism for his puzzling choice to draft Shedeur Sanders in the second round after already selecting Gabriel. Both rookies now occupy the top two spots on the Browns’ depth chart.
Flacco, who previously led the Ravens to a Super Bowl victory in 2013, made his Bengals debut during a 27-18 loss against the Packers. In that game, he showed improvement in the second half, completing 29 of 45 passes for 219 yards and two touchdowns after trailing 10-0 at halftime.
The Bengals have been struggling at the quarterback position; Joe Burrow is sidelined until at least December with a toe injury, leaving Jake Browning to step in with mixed results.
The Steelers currently lead the AFC North with a record of 4 wins and 2 losses, while the Bengals hold second with 2 wins and 4 losses. The Browns and Ravens sit below them both at 1 win and 5 losses.
Bengals star wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase issued a stark warning about the upcoming challenge against the Steelers. “I know the Steelers are going to come in and try to kill us alive,” he told reporters. “But we’re going to be ready for that challenge, and we’re going to be waiting for it.”
