Cleveland Browns quarterback Joe Flacco, left, chats with rookie Shedeur Sanders during an NFL practice. / Jeff Lange / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Joe Flacco is well aware of his age as he enters his 18th NFL season.
As the Cleveland Browns continue OTAs, the 40-year-old quarterback has been a veteran presence on the team and the quarterback room. He is able to mentor the younger quarterbacks, including rookie Shedeur Sanders.
Flacco was complimentary of Shedeur and his time with the Colorado product, but he couldn't help to acknowledge one notion that emphasized the age difference between them.
“I probably wasn’t too far away from playing against his dad and now I’m playing with him,” Flacco said Wednesday.
Flacco added of the quarterback room as a whole, “I think they tend to get a little kick outta me just because I am 40 years old and could be their fathers probably. It's fun for me too in the same kind of way. They're young and they have a lot of life, a lot of energy, a lot of new things that keep me in the loop with my kids and all those things. It's fun."
Flacco just missed the opportunity to play with Deion, who retired from the Baltimore Ravens just over two years before they drafted Flacco in 2008. Flacco now gets the chance to play with his son though, showing just how long he's managed to last in the league.
The age gap hasn't kept Flacco from bonding with Shedeur or the younger quarterbacks. Flacco called Shedeur "fun to be around," and earlier this month, [Shedeur expressed great excitement](https://www.si.com/nfl/shedeur-sanders-surprisingly-delighted-being-teammates-joe-flacco-browns-quarterbacks) to be on the same team as Flacco.
Competition will naturally dominate the storylines of the Browns' quarterback room this offseason, but there is also camaraderie between the group as they all try to win the starting job.