Fearless at 40, Joe Flacco says it's 'special' to be named starting QB

BEREA — There's still plenty of juice in that powerful right arm, and hopefully enough strength in his legs to keep Joe Flacco upright and safe from bodily harm.He doesn't feel 40, and other than some gray streaks and specks in his beard, the quarterback doesn't look it either.Flacco has defied age and NFL mortality, and is certain he's got at least another year left in him.The Browns are counting on it.What suspense? Joe Flacco named starting QBOne day after being named Cleveland's Week 1 starter by coach Kevin Stefanski — a destiny that seemed likely when he re-signed as a free agent in April and inevitable when he was left as the only healthy QB standing in camp — Flacco said Tuesday he's physically fit and ready for his 18th pro season."I hope that I've shown some people that over the last couple of weeks that have watched the film and that we've been out there with, I feel as good as I ever have," he said. "You get tricked a little bit when you're in a locker room with all these guys. You just kind of assume you're in your 20s and you keep telling yourself that. But I really do feel great."Flacco wasn't so much the outright champion of the Browns' four-man QB competition as its steadiest survivor. While veteran Kenny Pickett (hamstring) and rookies Dillon Gabriel (hamstring) and Shedeur Sanders (oblique) suffered injuries that limited their practice time, Flacco endured.It certainly didn't hurt that the Browns limited Flacco's reps, but him grabbing the QB1 mantel is also a testament to his dedication and commitment.Stefanski made it clear that while Flacco may have been the prohibitive favorite over Cleveland's twenty-somethings to be the starter when camp opened, he wasn't handed anything."He earned it and I understand with the injuries how that may look," Stefanski said. "That's really not the case here. Joe performed really well both in practices, in the joint practices, in the meeting room, you name it, in the walkthrough, just what he's able to bring to the football team. He's earned that role."GM Andrew Berry touts research done before signing Isaiah Bond to 3-year contractFlacco welcomed the news that he was Stefanski's pick.''I don't know if I was very emotional about it," Flacco said, "But, listen, you don't take for granted opportunities in this league. Especially to get one at this point of my career is definitely special."Now that he's been tabbed to start the Sept. 7 opener against Cincinnati, Flacco intends to use the next few weeks developing more chemistry with some offensive teammates who weren't here when he led the Browns on a magical playoff run in 2023.Flacco will play in Saturday's home exhibition finale against the Los Angeles Rams — Stefanski has yet to divulge how long the starters will play — and have two more full weeks of practice to prepare for the Bengals.It's not Flacco's nature to wax nostalgic, so he doesn't spend much time reminiscing about his unforgettable comeback season in '23, when he transformed from Cleveland villain following his years with Baltimore into a folk hero.Recreating that mojo isn't a priority."It's all about going out there and winning football games," he said. "That's the one detriment of having to split up reps so much during training camp is you'd like to gain that rapport with guys just to show them not just to get better on the field with guys, but also show them like, 'Hey, man, I'm the guy. Let's go have some fun.'"So hopefully over the next few weeks we can make that happen. It's all about winning in this league."Flacco knows how. He's got 105 career victories, 257 touchdowns, 45,697 yards passing and a Super Bowl MVP on his notable resume. Soon, he'll join an exclusive QB club in starting a game in his 40s, an accomplishment he's not positive his 22-year-old self could have imagined."If you told him, he'd probably be a little bit surprised that he's actually still playing at 40 years old," Flacco said when asked to reflect on his early career. "But I hope that he would believe it for sure. It's tough to go back and in a lot of ways you're probably a little bit more cocky as a 22-year-old than you are as a 40-year-old."So I've probably come down to earth and mellowed out a little bit on certain things and, yeah, my 22-year-old self I think would believe it for sure."While his longevity is impressive, Flacco isn't even the oldest QB in the AFC North, a distinction Aaron Rodgers (41) holds as Pittsburgh's starter.Flacco is proud to still be playing in his fifth decade, following the footsteps of other famous QBs, including Hall of Famers Warren Moon, Johnny Unitas and Brett Favre, and most prominently Tom Brady, the seven-time Super Bowl winner and rarely disputed G.O.A.T. who retired at 45.Flacco, who last opened the season as a starter in 2022 for the New York Jets, doesn't take his durability for granted. It's a badge of honor."You've got to give a lot of credit to obviously Tom, for anybody even thinking about doing it," he said. "He pushed the boundaries like he did in absolutely everything. No surprise that he did it in that way as well. But I don't think it's necessarily something that I actively think about until people kind of remind me with texts and things like that and you guys (reporters) ask me about it. I don't think it's a huge deal right now, but I'm sure when I look back on it, it'll be pretty cool."Stefanski is just three years older than his starting QB, who has managed to stay healthy and productive in a league where careers can end prematurely."It's incredible," Stefanski said of Flacco's staying power. "When you talk about at the quarterback position, the battles that those guys go through every day, the battles that they go through certainly on Sundays with people trying to come after them in every direction."So I admire all our players and what they put their bodies through, but the guys that can get double-digit seasons in this league, it's really remarkable."The post Fearless at 40, Joe Flacco says it's 'special' to be named starting QB first appeared on BrownsZone with Scott Petrak.