With Thursday marking the start of the 2023 NFL regular season, free-agent quarterback Joe Flacco stands in unfamiliar territory for the first time in his career.
Flacco, a 15-year veteran, isn’t on an NFL roster for the first time since his senior season at Delaware in 2007. Now, the 38-year-old finds himself sitting at home awaiting his next opportunity. But, despite his current lack of options, the Super Bowl XLVII MVP spoke adamantly Thursday about the fact that he’s still eyeing an NFL return, not retirement.
“Listen, I can still play,” Flacco told ESPN. “That’s me talking, obviously. I’m hoping that there’s the silver lining that I’m not anywhere right now and that I can be available to anybody. I’m not saying it’s going to be the truth, but if I was tied up with somebody as a backup and just didn’t play at all when all of a sudden three guys go down, well, I’d probably be in the back of my head be thinking, ‘Oh, man, would I have had an opportunity to go there?’”
As one of the league’s most seasoned signal-callers, Flacco, who’s started 180 of his 183 career games, also noted that his availability may be his best asset, given the need for QB depth as the year progresses.
“I do think that at the point that my career is in,” Flacco continued, ”it is a positive thing in a lot of ways that I’m not anywhere right now, because if somebody does need somebody, at least I’m available.”
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While it remains to be seen whether Flacco will land another NFL gig, the veteran QB showed he still has some gas left in the tank in 2022, tallying 1,051 yards, five touchdowns and three interceptions in five games (four starts) for the Jets.
The No. 18 pick in 2008 by the Ravens, Flacco ranks in the top 20 in career passing yards (42,320) and victories (99). He’s thrown 232 career touchdowns to 147 interceptions.
