Giants HC John Harbaugh makes surprising Joe Flacco prediction

Joe Flacco is entering his 19th NFL season. He's 41 years old. If you ask former Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh, now at the helm for the New York Giants, the Super Bowl XLVII MVP has a lot more left in the tank.

During an appearance on "The Dominique Foxworth Show," the ESPN podcast's namesake asked Harbaugh if he or Flacco would call it quits first.

"I think I will," Harbaugh said, laughing. "This dude's gonna play until he's 50. He's just unbelievable. He's still playing at a high level. When he was (with) the Browns, we were playing him last year early in the year, I'm like, 'Damn, we can't let Joe come in here and beat us now!' Then the next time we play him, he's (with) the Bengals. It's like, 'What's going on, man?'

"I have so much respect for him and so much love for him. The funny thing about him is he has not changed. He's grayer, the gray beard, he's just a good-looking dude."

Joe Flacco has had quite the NFL journey

Flacco spent the first 11 seasons of his career with the Ravens before they traded him to the Denver Broncos in 2019 and handed the keys to the offense over to Lamar Jackson. Flacco spent one season in the Rocky Mountains before venturing to join the New York Jets, with whom he played from 2020-22. 

Before landing with Zac Taylor and the Bengals, Flacco had two stints with the Cleveland Browns (2023, 2025), which sandwiched a campaign with the Indianapolis Colts (2024).

Harbaugh also marveled at Flacco's honest nature, with the signal-caller crediting getting away from his children now and then as a reason he's still playing.

"His wife's gotta just be shaking her head laughing," Harbaugh said.

Flacco started six games for Cincinnati last season, trying to keep the ship afloat while Joe Burrow was injured. He went 1-5, but remains Burrow's backup as this upcoming season nears. Foxworth hasn't noticed any change in his demeanor.

"I got to Baltimore in his second year and he was just pretty mellow," Foxworth said. "We called him 'Joe Cool' and he was kinda like that all the time, and he still seems that way. He doesn't get too high, too low and just goes with it. ... It works out pretty well for him."

Flacco is the league's third-leading active passer (48,176 yards) behind the Pittsburgh Steelers' Aaron Rodgers (66,274) and the Los Angeles Rams' Matthew Stafford (64,516).