He could also be approaching his thirty eighth birthday and enjoying in his fifteenth NFL season, and he has a superb little bit of grey stubble protruding from his coaching camp beard to substantiate his age, however Joe Flacco remembers the times when he was a younger participant looking for his approach, awed by the presence of some venerable veterans within the locker room.
Flacco remembers, as a rookie in Baltimore, the primary time he set eyes on linebacker Ray Lewis and security Ed Reed — each of whom have since been enshrined within the Professional Soccer Corridor of Fame.
“I’ll always remember the primary time Ray Lewis mentioned one thing to me, or the primary time I touched his shoulder, dapping him up or one thing, and it was like the toughest floor I’ve ever touched in my life,’’ Flacco mentioned Friday after the Jets’ mixed session with the Falcons in Florham Park. “They have been unbelievable and one of the best to ever do it at their positions.’’
These gamers didn’t appear actual to Flacco, as a result of he’d been spending his Sundays watching them on tv.
Now, Flacco is a type of guys.
Regardless of the standout profession he has carved out en path to spending the twilight of his profession in a Jets uniform as Zach Wilson’s backup — he has received 118 video games in his profession (together with Tremendous Bowl XLVII) and has thrown for greater than 41,000 yards — Flacco shouldn't be possible headed to the Corridor of Fame.
However that doesn’t make him any much less of a formidable veteran presence on this younger Jets group.
Simply ask second-year receiver Elijah Moore, who was an 8-year-old when Flacco was an NFL rookie.
“I watched him all my life,’’ Moore mentioned Friday. “When he bought right here [last season], I used to be amazed that it was him. Final 12 months earlier than among the video games, he’s been an incredible sufficient particular person to share a few of his tales. It’s tremendous cool to listen to.
“You hear among the guys on the sideline saying like, ‘That’s Joe Flacco. He’s a legend.’ All of us have been born in 2000, so we’re younger. Man, he’s an incredible dude and an incredible participant nonetheless.’’
Wilson had arthroscopic surgical procedure on his injured proper knee on Tuesday and certain might be out of motion for a few month, so Flacco has been taking the first-team reps in observe.
He was, by far, the superior quarterback on the sector among the many Jets and Falcons gamers throughout observe Friday, wanting a lot sharper than Atlanta starter Marcus Mariota. Flacco’s day was highlighted by a protracted TD completion to Moore and by a pair of two-minute drills during which he led the offense to 10 factors, finishing 10 of 13 passes.
Flacco will begin Monday night time within the Jets’ preseason recreation in opposition to the Falcons at MetLife Stadium. He's anticipated to proceed beginning a minimum of into the regular-season opener, whereas Wilson’s knee heals.
Final week, rookie receiver Garrett Wilson raved about Flacco’s veteran presence in the way in which he delivers the soccer to the move catchers when he mentioned: “It’s plenty of expertise there with Flacco. He does a superb job of creating the passes receiver-friendly. That’s the easiest way I can put it into phrases. They’re fairly straightforward to catch while you take one thing off the ball while you’re working a slant route versus an out route when there’s bought to be zip on the ball.’’
On Friday, Moore talked about Flacco’s unmistakable demeanor within the huddle.
“He’s simply very calm and nonchalant,’’ Moore mentioned. “A whole lot of quarterbacks are very energetic, however he’s simply very managed and calm. I really feel like having him again there has some swag to it.’’
Swag isn’t possible what Flacco is after, however he’ll take it. He relishes being the previous, established dude whom the kids look as much as, as a result of it takes him again to these days of admiring the likes of Lewis and Reed.
“I don’t know if I’d ever be checked out like Ray or Ed,’’ Flacco mentioned. “These guys have been simply next-level. I bear in mind strolling into the locker room and seeing these guys for the primary time. Once you see these guys, it’s totally different. You develop up watching them. I’m lucky to have the ability to inform these tales to guys. All people, after all, needs to know, ‘What was Ray Lewis like? What was Ed Reed like?’
“I look again and assume how lucky I used to be to play with these guys.’’
There could also be a time later this season or subsequent or additional down the road that among the younger gamers on the Jets will carry fond reminiscences like that about Flacco.
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