Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco may have just turned 30, but he feels he has a whole lot left in the tank. Talking about his health and overall physical well-being, Flacco told ESPN.com that his long-term plan includes playing until his 40th birthday:
“I don’t feel any worse because of my age yet. I’m not going to be 50 (years old) and playing. I hope I’m 40, but 50, no. I’m comfortable with what I do in the offseason and who I work with when I’m not around here. And it wasn’t like that probably the first two years. But ever since then, I’m pretty comfortable and I feel good about it. It’s kind of been pretty similar, and I rely on my trainer, and when I come back here I rely on these guys. I think it’s working out really well.”
Thank goodness he is serious about not playing until he is 50. Flacco now joins the list of quarterbacks consisting of Drew Brees, Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers who have expressed interest in playing into the fifth decade of their lives.
Future Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre is the most noteworthy player to have success at the age of 40 and beyond. The next quarterback in line to possibly achieve the 40-year-old milestone would be Peyton Manning, who recently turned 39-years-old and is still performing strong. Though, it must be noted that Manning may end up hanging up his cleats following the 2015 season.
The good news for Flacco here is that he has yet to miss a single game due to injury during his seven-year career. That speaks volumes regarding his ability to extend his career.
Even with a Super Bowl titles and six playoff appearances under his belt, Flacco remains one of the most underrated quarterbacks in the NFL. He’s apparently ready to play the next decade in order to prove skeptics wrong.
Photo: USA Today Sports