Mike Tomlin, head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers, openly questioned and criticized the Cleveland Browns' decision to trade their opening-day starting quarterback Joe Flacco to the Cincinnati Bengals, a division rival struggling in that area. Tomlin said the trade "doesn't make sense" to him, expressing surprise that Browns GM Andrew Berry would make such a move that strengthened a direct competitor. He commented that Berry "must be a lot smarter than me or us" to justify trading a quarterback they valued enough to start for them to a struggling division opponent. Tomlin also acknowledged Flacco's strengths, describing him as someone who "can certainly throw the ball" with a strong arm, accuracy, and ability to anticipate plays. Tomlin's comments came just days before the Steelers faced the Bengals, where Flacco notably performed well, validating Tomlin's concerns. Flacco responded to Tomlin's remarks with humor, suggesting Tomlin was "probably just playing the game a bit" and doing what he needed to do. The trade and Tomlin's comments created a ripple effect across the NFL, with some seeing it as Tomlin expressing frustration or supporting Browns coach Kevin Stefanski indirectly. Others noted Tomlin might have preferred facing a less experienced quarterback in the Bengals. In summary, Tomlin was openly critical of the Browns' logic in trading Flacco to a divisional rival and respected Flacco's quarterback skills, predicting that the trade would impact the division's competitive landscape significantly. Flacco's subsequent performance against the Steelers demonstrated that Tomlin's concerns were well-founded as Flacco led the Bengals to a close victory over Pittsburgh.