NFL veteran Joe Flacco is all set to go with the Cleveland Browns for his 2025 season, for which he has tuned in to pickleball. The 40-year-old quarterback, recently spoke about how the fast-growing paddle sport has helped him stay in shape and become a part of his routine in the off-season.
During a recent interview on SiriusXM NFL Radio, Flacco revealed how he trained and said, “In terms of preparing my body, I think I’ve gotten better and better at that each year. You’re constantly looking towards things. The pickleball thing comes up because at some point I realised you can go out there and run and condition and do those things, but it’s better when you’re playing a game,”
“Isn’t it better to go play basketball and get yourself in shape and actually play? That’s how I was. A couple of offseasons ago, I kind of realised, when I was a kid and you’re in great shape, it’s because you’re just playing all kinds of games and you’re working your brain and your body at the same time,” explained Flacco.
For Flacco, the benefits go beyond cardio.
“I think that’s really important to go back to because you can fall into a trap of getting in the weight room and then you think you’ve been very productive for the day because you worked out for an hour and a half, but you’re really not doing much the rest of the day. But when you’re playing games, you’re just kind of keeping yourself into it,” insisted Flacco.
He also credited pickelball for helping him prepare mentally before his record-braking 18th NFL season.
“Then just now preparing mentally, I think as you get older, you get better at it, but you also get more relaxed. You’re able to be yourself a little bit more, as opposed to stressing about little things. You know what not to worry about, so you can focus on the important things and really come out and let yourself shine.”
Whether it’s footwork, fitness, or mental clarity, pickleball is proving to be a game-changer, even for Super Bowl MVPs.
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