Joe Flacco talks his role on the Eagles and coming home

The Eagles signed Joe Flacco earlier in the week, doubling the number of QBs on the roster, and the veteran spoke with reporters on Thursday about his role with the team and what it’s like to come back home. He talked about being excited about the young coaching staff, and how their energy drew him to sign with Philly.

Flacco also noted that he feels good and is healthy, and said he learned a lot last year — his first season in a backup role — primarily that he loves the game of football, in whatever capacity that he’s doing it. He loves coming to work everyday and playing football with the guys.

Here’s what else he had to say:

On his role with the Eagles

Flacco said that he and head coach Nick Sirianni didn’t talk a lot about what his role would be and whether or not he would be competing for QB1 or was coming in as the backup to Jalen Hurts. He noted that he’s a competitor, though, and he thinks that competition brings out the best in a football team, anyway.

He talked about meeting with the coaching staff and discussing the offense a little bit, but it was more about getting to know the guys, and a lot of the positives that drew him to sign with the Eagles were due to those conversations. Flacco acknowledged it’s a young coaching staff with a lot to prove, and he thinks that kind of motivation sticks out. With a big smile, Flacco admitted that he doesn’t think he’s ever been older than his offensive coordinator and quarterback coach.

The QB later noted that he did have a few interested teams, but when making his decision, he didn’t want location to be one of his deciding factors. He wanted to give himself the best opportunity to be in the best situation, and the young coaching staff and their excitement and energy led to his decision.

Flacco was asked several times about competing for the starting role and also whether he would be mentoring Hurts, but he continued to emphasize that in the QB room the goal is to improve, collaborate, and do what’s needed to help the team win. He wasn’t too concerned with his opportunity to compete, and also kept things vague and generalized when talking about mentorship within the quarterback room.

The veteran did, however, note that Jalen Hurts texted him when the news broke and they’re both excited for the opportunity to work together.

On playing close to home

“It’s exciting. Definitely been getting a lot of attention from all my buddies back at home recently. But, listen, I grew up in this town and I know what it’s like, I mean there can be a lot of positives, there could be a lot of negatives about that. Just knowing what we’re like around here, so I just anticipate it being a lot of fun. I’m really excited about it, I think it’s a great opportunity for me and my family, just to be here, where we are in a great situation, so I’m excited about, you know, what the future brings and how it’s gonna play out in this town. But, yeah, I know it’s a lot of passionate people that love football and love their sports in general, and like I said, it could be a fun ride.”

Flacco went on to say that it’s cool to get to play for the team he rooted for as a kid, but he also thinks it’s going to mean a lot to his friends from the area. He acknowledged, though, that it comes with a lot of responsibility because those guys are passionate about their Eagles and he has to play his part in helping the team win.

“I’ve been back here when I was in Baltimore and I was always excited to kind of come in to this city, into this field, to get a chance to play against the Eagles. I always felt like it meant a little bit more, so now to have the opportunity to put on this jersey, I really feel like it’s going to mean a lot to me, and hopefully I can represent it well.”

The QB later said that he’s always kept an eye on the team, even when he played elsewhere, but he’s excited to be on this side of things.