Joe Flacco has never been one to shy away from speaking his mind, and as he wrapped up his 18th NFL season with a surprising Pro Bowl nod, the veteran quarterback offered some candid thoughts on the league’s current approach to protecting signal-callers.
During an appearance on the This Is Football podcast, Flacco gave voice to a sentiment that’s likely shared-if not always spoken aloud-by more than a few old-school players: the game’s getting too soft, especially when it comes to roughing the passer calls.
“I don’t think it should be roughing the passer when they land on us,” Flacco said. “I don’t think being slapped in the head should be roughing the passer.
It honestly annoys me because it affects games in a negative way at random times. And they can call it or not call it.
It needs to get out of the game.”
It’s a bold stance in an era where the league has made quarterback safety a top priority-especially after high-profile injuries like Carson Palmer’s torn ACL in the 2005 playoffs and Tom Brady’s season-ending knee injury in 2008. The NFL’s current rules allow officials to throw a 15-yard penalty and grant an automatic first down for roughing the passer, with infractions including late hits, helmet-to-helmet contact, and defenders landing with full body weight. But the subjective nature of those calls has led to growing frustration among players, coaches, and fans alike.
Flacco’s take? He’s not downplaying the risks-he’s embracing them.
Joe Flacco went on a rant with @bykevinclark about how football 15 years ago was tougher.
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) February 4, 2026
“I don’t think it should be roughing when they land on us. Or being slapped on the head is roughing. It affects games in a negative way.”
Full clip is must-watch. pic.twitter.com/2y5tQ5XtSs
“We signed up to get concussions. We signed up to get hurt,” he said.
“It is what it is. You might not like that, but it’s what we kinda did when we decided to play this game.”
It’s a perspective rooted in the mindset of a different NFL era-one that Flacco believes gave his generation a mental edge. “The guys coming into the league these days look at me like I’m crazy,” he said.
“Like, ‘What do you mean you want receivers to get laid out over the middle, and you want guys to land on you?’ I’m like, ‘Yeah, guys, that’s football.’
There are certain things that shouldn’t be penalties.”
That hard-nosed mentality has been part of what’s kept Flacco in the league for nearly two decades. And in 2025, he showed he still had something left in the tank.
After starting the season with the Browns and going 1-3, he landed with the Bengals following Joe Burrow’s turf toe injury. What followed was a late-season run that reminded everyone why Flacco’s name still carries weight in NFL circles.
In six starts for Cincinnati, Flacco completed 61.7% of his passes, tossing 13 touchdowns to just four interceptions. Across 13 total games in 2025, he threw for 2,479 yards, 15 touchdowns, and 10 picks-solid numbers for a quarterback who entered the season as a backup and ended it in the Pro Bowl for the first time in his career.
At 41, Flacco knows his days as a full-time starter are likely behind him-especially with Burrow healthy and entrenched as the Bengals’ franchise cornerstone. But that doesn’t mean he’s ready to walk away.
Whether he returns for a 19th season will depend on opportunity. He’s not looking to hold a clipboard.
If he comes back, it’ll be to play.
And if this is the end? Flacco’s final chapter included a rare feat: appearances for three AFC North teams. From Baltimore to Cleveland to Cincinnati, he’s seen it all-and he’s still speaking his truth, even if it ruffles a few feathers.
That’s vintage Joe Flacco. Tough, unfiltered, and still slinging-on and off the field.