Veteran NFL QB’s Opinion on Eating Alone Has Changed in Very Relatable Way – Bundlezy

Veteran NFL QB’s Opinion on Eating Alone Has Changed in Very Relatable Way

Joe Flacco has seen a lot of things on and off the field in his 18 seasons as an NFL quarterback. 

He’s still learning, though, and this week he shared a story that probably has many men and women around his age nodding in agreement. 

Sometimes, it’s nice just to go out and eat a meal alone in peace. 

Unexpected Trade

Flacco’s football life has been turned upside down this month. 

He began the season as the starting quarterback for the Cleveland Browns, but they opted to go young at the position with third-round pick Dillon Gabriel of Oregon. 

Flacco admitted thinking he might be done as a starting quarterback at that point, but now his outlook has changed quickly. 

The Cincinnati Bengals acquired Flacco from their in-state rivals Oct. 7, and he stepped right into the startling lineup as Joe Burrow continues to recover from surgery to repair torn toe ligaments. 

Flacco threw for 219 yards and two touchdowns in a loss to the Green Bay Packers in his first start for the Bengals before shining last week against the Pittsburgh Steelers. 

He threw for 342 yards and three touchdowns as the Bengals beat another of their AFC North division rivals last Thursday to improve to 3-4 and gain hope their season is not lost without Burrow. 

Playing on Thursday also afforded Flacco a chance to breath and get a little more used to his new surroundings before the Bengals take the field again this weekend against the New York Jets. 

Getting Settled in the Queen City

Of course, NFL players are people, too, and people gotta eat, right? 

Flacco told reporters this week more about how he is balancing life as a dad and as a professional football player with his family still living in New Jersey. 

“Early in the season, they came out to Cleveland, and they’re gonna come out to this week’s game,” he said during his midweek press conference in Cincinnati (via Joe Danneman of FOX19 TV in Cincinnati). “I think there’s always a challenge of sitting in your room and being lonely.”

But Flacco has come up with ways to deal with that. Those include spending extra time at the office (the Bengals football facility in this case), calling home or even just going out to eat — alone. 

“Go sit at a restaurant by myself and realize that, man, that’s pretty enjoyable to do,” Flacco said with a smile. 

That elicited laughs from the assembled press. Then the 40-year-old Flacco went on to explain he has learned something many his age might already know. 

A New Outlook

Sometimes a little solitude in public is just nice to have — especially for that mom or dad who is usually sharing their time with a loving-yet-demanding family.

“I used to see guys sitting at a bar by themselves — or just sitting by themselves eating and grabbing a little meal — I’m like, ‘Man, I feel so bad for that guy,’” Flacco said. 

“Like you almost want to go join them, and now I realize that dude was in heaven. And not to say I’d rather not be at home sitting at the dinner table with my kids and hearing what the hell they were talking about all day, but if you have to do it, then you might as well take advantage of it.” 

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