Joe Flacco has only been with the Bengals for a few weeks after being traded by the Browns but it's safe to say the 40-year-old QB is already feeling comfortable in his new home, even though his family hasn't joined him in Cincinnati.
Flacco had maybe the best quote of the NFL season during his press conference on Wednesday when he talked about what it has been like to have some alone time in Cincinnati. Flacco and his wife Dana have five kids together and while he's still busy playing football, his family has stayed at their home in New Jersey.
Flacco had this to say about what his life has been like without his family around. He added they will be in town for this weekend's game against the Jets.
"For me, it's trying to find ways to maybe stay over here a little bit longer, then just take myself out of that mindset and call home," Flacco said. "Go sit at a restaurant by myself and realize that man, that's pretty enjoyable to do.
"I tell people all the time, I used to see guys sitting at a bar by themselves or just sitting by themselves eating and I'm like, 'Man, I feel so bad for that guy.' You always want to go join him and now I realize, that dude was in heaven. And not to say that's not what I want, I'd rather 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, you may as well take advantage of it."
Here's that moment:
"I used to see guys sitting at the bar by themselves eating and I used to feel so bad for them and now I realize that dude was in heaven."
— Joe Danneman (@FOX19Joe) October 22, 2025
Not many of us can relate with being on a new team, in a new city, without our family, but many of us can relate to this. pic.twitter.com/FhSgSe6Jd8
NFL fans loved that very honest and relatable quote from Flacco:
This is first ballot relatable. https://t.co/vsLTSnrqJr
— Kyle Brandt (@KyleBrandt) October 22, 2025
Every dad in America realizing how much they have in common with Joe Flacco https://t.co/DN2hhgreRR pic.twitter.com/TGwTmJ9xmk
— James Rapien (@JamesRapien) October 23, 2025
One of the great pleasures in life is the solo bar dinner. https://t.co/uHZWwf37qm
— Rufus (@RufusPeabody) October 23, 2025
I have never related to a single quote more in my life. https://t.co/XWIcuE243E
— Aaron Nagler (@AaronNagler) October 23, 2025
This is amazing. https://t.co/OAr68RUtem
— Andrew Siciliano (@AndrewSiciliano) October 22, 2025
The more he talks, the more interesting I find this guy. https://t.co/Rx73MsTHDy
— LanceMcAlister (@LanceMcAlister) October 22, 2025
Common Flacco W https://t.co/HTSF86IdpM
— Mike Golic Jr (@mikegolicjr) October 22, 2025
😂 not sure a pro athlete has ever been more relatable than this. https://t.co/IVHObMyXIC
— Judy Battista (@judybattista) October 22, 2025
Joe Flacco speaking the language of moms and dads everywhere. https://t.co/RIbC94Kemp
— Paul Dehner Jr. (@pauldehnerjr) October 22, 2025
The most relatable professional athlete experience https://t.co/Y2sj3om4Wj
— Formerly known as AOD (@McNamaraDynasty) October 22, 2025
Keep watching this and thinking about my own experiences. I do ~mostly~ everything alone. This past weekend, I went to my favorite establishment and watched college football, drank 2 beers, and crushed 12 wings without saying a word. It was so awesome. https://t.co/ycK4SKF74X
— Austin Elmore (@autyelmore) October 23, 2025
Flacco has gone 1-1 in his first two games with the Bengals, throwing five touchdowns with no interceptions. He's coming off a a huge win over the Steelers in which he led a game-winning drive in the final minutes and has given the Bengals some hope after things looked bleak following Joe Burrow's injury.
Now he has become one of the most relatable athletes in all of professional sports by speaking some honest truth about life as a 40-year-old dad on the road.
Feels like more fans will be pulling for him now. Hopefully, though, if they see him sitting at a bar having dinner they just continue to let him have his space and allow him to enjoy his quiet time.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Joe Flacco’s Priceless Quote About Sitting Alone at a Bar Loved By NFL Fans .
