Joe Flacco has had a long and winding career in the NFL. Since his time in Baltimore, the veteran quarterback has been on a tour that has taken him to a variety of destinations around the league. After signing a one-year, $8.7 million deal with the Indianapolis Colts, the 39-year-old Flacco still believes his playing days are far from numbered.
Last season, Flacco found success with the Cleveland Browns, one of Baltimore’s rivals. The 6-foot-6, 246-pound quarterback made five regular-season starts for the Browns in 2023, throwing for 1,616 yards and 13 touchdowns on 60.3 percent passing after injuries hit Cleveland’s quarterback room. Flacco led the Browns to the playoffs and secured the 2023 Comeback Player of the Year award.
As he heads to Indianapolis to back up last year’s No. 4 overall pick Anthony Richardson, Flacco believes he is far from finished.
“It’s more just a personal thing. It’s like, ‘Hey, I feel like I’m still in shape and ready to go. So, I owe it to myself to do it,” Flacco said on Glenn Clark Radio March 20. “And also, I love playing this [game]. I don’t want to have to go find something else that I love because I don’t know if there is anything else. So, I’m going to continue to do this while I can.”
Fans in Baltimore may not be the elated with the quarterback’s most recent destinations. Flacco is aware of this and, while still excited for the opportunity in Indianapolis, he cannot help but find the humor in the coincidences.
“My mom actually mentioned that to me. I’m like completing a little Baltimore trio here,” Flacco said. “It’s funny. I was in Cleveland, who hates Baltimore. I was in Baltimore, where that was that was my spot. I didn’t really think anything about either place hating each other. And now I’m going to Indy, who Baltimore hates, so it’s a funny little coincidence, I think.”
Flacco never had any doubt in his ability to perform prior to the call from Cleveland. It was a matter of if he was going to find the opportunity to play again. That has been the biggest struggle Flacco has had to face, yet he feels as though he has learned a lot from this adversity and is now better equipped to succeed. He is ready to play on in spite of those somewhat uncontrollable circumstances.
“You have to just stay in your lane and do what gets you ready and stay consistent with your preparation. Just take care of whatever you can control so that if you do get called on at some point, then you’re in the right frame of mind to go out there and actually compete the way that you want to,” Flacco said. “I think that’s kind of been my process over the last couple of years, is just trying to fight the urge to want my situation to maybe be a little bit different, but at the same time, being grateful for what it is and the possibility of an opportunity here and there.”
It’s that positive mindset that has helped Flacco make it to this point. Given his resume as a Super Bowl MVP, it would be easy for Flacco to rest on his laurels or be disappointed with his opportunities, but he always keeps his eyes on the road ahead and sticks to a routine even if he’s not with a team.
“Those kinds of things all help because they keep you focused on what you’re doing today, as opposed to what might happen two months from now or things like that,” Flacco said. “And I think the better you can keep yourself in the present then the less you worry about those things. You don’t think about anything else besides, ‘Hey, I accomplished what I wanted to today and tomorrow I’m going to do the same thing.’ I think that helps keep those thoughts away.”
Given his history with Baltimore, Flacco admits that his most recent signings have been rather surreal to him. Yet even in light of these strange adjustments, Flacco still finds joy in the appreciation he gets from fans he impacted here in Baltimore.
“You want to make an impact and you want to be that kind of player and stuff like that. So, I have interacted with some people from Baltimore and … it means a lot,” Flacco said. “I think every player will say the same thing. The fans make this game so any time you can make an impression on them and they can kind of root for you, even though it may not be what’s typical for them, it definitely means a lot as a player.”
As Flacco sets his sights on Year 17 and a season in Indianapolis, Flacco believes he still has a lot left to offer it. Where that will take him in the future remains to be seen, but it will not stop Flacco from putting himself in the best position possible.
Even if the Ravens were to ever make a call for a backup.
“I’m open to anybody who wants to give me a chance to play football,” Flacco said. “I think it’s easy to want to have hard feelings toward certain situations and things like that, but I’ve just been around too long. It’s one of those things that affects you in a negative way and I don’t want to affect myself in a negative way. I want to be as positive as possible and give myself the best chance to be successful moving forward.”
For more from Flacco, listen to the full interview here:
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