Mike Florio explains his respect for NFL washout Joe Flacco - “Could you see Drew Brees, Peyton Manning, Tom Brady standing there as a backup?”

Joe Flacco might be pushing 40, but the former Super Bowl MVP is gearing up for another attempt to log a few more games on his extensive stat sheet. For Joe Flacco to do so at his age has earned Mike Florio's respect.

Here's how he put it:

"The thing I respect about Flacco, he loves the game so much that he's still willing after the sun has set on his career as a starter [to hold a clipboard]," Florio said on Sunday Night Football show. "How often do you see a true franchise quarterback stick around and hold a clipboard for multiple years? It doesn't happen. There's a pride to it. There's an indignity. 'I was the guy.'" [00:01:29].

He continued, arguing that for all Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, and Drew Brees accomplished, they never did what Joe Flacco did:

"Could you see Drew Brees, Peyton Manning, Tom Brady standing there on the sideline as a backup? Most franchise quarterbacks won't even consider [it.] Number one, they got more money than they need and Flacco does, but he still loves the sport enough that he wants to keep going. That's rare as franchise quarterbacks go, Peter," he added."[00:02:21]

Joe Flacco's last unchallenged season as a starter was in 2017, when he went 9-7 as a starter. In 2018, he was replaced in the middle of the season by Lamar Jackson. Ever since the switch, he has spent the majority of his time in the NFL standing behind a younger quarterback with a clipboard. His most recent appearance came in 2022, when he went 1-3 in relief of Zach Wilson for the New York Jets.

Was Peyton Manning ever a backup quarterback like Joe Flacco?

Peyton Manning at Tennessee vs. Georgia

Technically, Manning did hold the clipboard for a couple of games in his final season as Brock Osweiler managed to continue stacking up wins. Even in the game that he eventually returned to against the Los Angeles Chargers at the end of the 2015 season, Manning was healthy but still stuck on the sidelines at the start of the game.

That said, Manning did eventually go on to win the Super Bowl and did just enough to win the Super Bowl 50. However, the act of holding the clipboard was not what he signed up for in his final season.

Following the Super Bowl victory, Manning immediately retired at the top rather than risking another season of injuries and waiting on the bench for Brock Osweiler to offer him a chance to return.

With all of this said, Tom Brady fans might see Florio's comments as a last-gasp hope to convince Brady to willingly return to the league in some form or fashion. It would be the easiest accomplishment of his career, one could argue. However, at this point, the momentum of No. 12's life has likely put him on such a trajectory that a return to the league would be impossible.

If any of the above quotes are used, credit Pro Football Talk and H/T Sportskeeda.