‘I Wanted Them to Respect Me’: Joe Flacco Admits Getting Nervous on First Meeting With Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins

When Joe Flacco was traded to the Cincinnati Bengals earlier this month, the timing couldn’t have been worse for the 40-year-old quarterback.

For starters, his latest stint in Cleveland was abysmal: just two touchdowns in four starts, six interceptions, and a league-worst 60.3 passer rating. Then, after four laborious weeks, the Browns decided to bench their QB1 in favor of rookie Dillon Gabriel. And within days, Flacco was shipped to a division rival desperate to keep its season alive without Joe Burrow.

For most veterans at the tail end of their careers, a trade like this would have been daunting. For Flacco, though, it was also a chance to prove to the world that he still belonged. And as he revealed on Fitz & Whit podcast today, that pressure crept in the moment he first threw to his new receiving corps, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.

“I know I’m 40 years old,” Flacco told Andrew Whitworth with a laugh, “but the first couple of times I threw to Ja’Marr [Chase] and Tee [Higgins], I was a little bit nervous. I’m like, man, I want them to know…”

Before Flacco could finish, Whitworth jumped in with a perfectly-timed quip: “I want them to respect me, damn it.” Flacco, in response, chuckled but was honest enough to admit it was true: “I do! I wanted to hit these guys and have them know, like, hey, I can put some nice touch on it. I can put it where you want it.”

However, the first impression wasn’t exactly great, as the former Super Bowl MVP admitted that his desperation got the better of him.

“I overthought it for sure,” Flacco continued. “One of the first balls I threw to Ja’Marr… he was running one of these little skinny posts we have, he was a little bit deeper than I thought he’d be. And I missed him. And I was just like, ‘Oh man, he thinks I suck. Here we go.’”

Flacco seemed shaken with the initial setback, as he then went on to have an internal dialogue with himself about his unusual behavior. “I don’t do that very often, especially in routes versus air,” he added. “I was like, ‘Damn man, stop overthinking it. Just throw the damn ball.’”

And boy did that advice work because Flacco eventually realized that when you have two of the best WRs at your disposal, “just put it somewhere around them, and they’ll make you look good.” Who could have seen this coming, eh?

Safe to say, this epiphany has translated to success on the field for the veteran QB. Since joining the Bengals, he has helped breathe life back into their offense, completing 60 of 92 passes (65.2%) for 561 yards, five touchdowns, and no turnovers in two starts.

After a solid showing in his debut against the Packers, he followed it up with a masterclass versus the Steelers: 342 yards, three touchdowns, and a 108.6 passer rating, helping the Bengals snap a four-game losing streak.

With Joe Burrow expected to return in the last few games of the regular season, if Flacco continues his rich vein of form for the Bengals, don’t be surprised if the team ends up creeping into the playoffs somehow. How about that for a turnaround story?