As Joe Flacco enters his 19th year in the league, the Cincinnati Bengals QB has played for over 7 different NFL teams so far. In doing so, he has won a Super Bowl Championship, earned Super Bowl MVP honors, and also tied for multiple records. The quarterback isn’t showing any signs of slowing down, especially after posting 1,664 passing yards in 9 games last year. The 41-year-old also earned a contract extension this offseason, giving him one more year to prove that he makes for a strong Hall of Famer honor, a sentiment that New England Patriots legend Rob Gronkowski recently endorsed.

“Joe Flacco is a Hall of Famer,” said Gronkowski on his podcast, Dudes On Dudes. “His excitement level is through the absolute roof. I love what he’s doing. I mean, he threw for 470 yards, four touchdowns. Just how much he’s bringing to the game of football in the 40s is just incredible, and his comments as well. I really loved what he said, like, something about being the only guy at the bar and just watching the game is one of the greatest pleasures. It was along those lines. You gotta respect Joe Flacco, what he’s doing.”

In 19 seasons, Flacco has played for the Baltimore Ravens, the Denver Broncos, the New York Jets, the Cleveland Browns, the Indianapolis Colts, and now the Cincinnati Bengals. Flacco has appeared in a total of 209 regular-season games, and the 41-year-old often garnered attention with his performance.

In the 209 games combined, Flacco threw for 48,176 yards and posted 272 touchdowns with a 107-94 record. But Flacco’s performance from his Super Bowl-winning year with the Ravens truly stands out. Flacco spent 11 seasons with the Ravens, right from his selection in the 2008 NFL Draft. During the 2012 post-season run, he completed 73 passes, throwing for 1,140 yards while recording 11 touchdowns in four games.

Flacco and the Ravens clinched the Super Bowl XLVII title after beating the San Francisco 49ers 34-31. Flacco threw for 287 yards and 3 touchdowns during the game and was awarded the Super Bowl MVP honors. Additionally, Joe Flacco also sits in the top 15 names in league history for career passing yards and ranks among the top 25 in all-time passing touchdowns.

The former Patriots tight end isn’t alone in making the case for Flacco’s HOF induction. Sports commentator and former ESPN First Take panelist Jay Mariotti also shares a similar opinion.

“For perseverance, for tirelessness … for simply understanding a football is an object to be thrown at a receiver in the same uniform, Joe Flacco has my Hall of Fame vote,” wrote Mariotti on his Substack.

However, Flacco has never engaged himself in a conversation about accolades and recognitions. But when he was asked if he thinks he ranks in the top 5 NFL quarterbacks, his answer was enough to show where his priorities lie and his mindset as a quarterback.

“I assume everybody thinks they’re a top-five quarterback,” said Flacco in 2012. “I mean, I think I’m the best, and I don’t think I’m top five, I think I’m the best. But I don’t think I’d be very successful at my job if I didn’t feel that way. I mean, c’mon? That’s not really too tough of a question.”

The statement was made before Flacco’s standout 2012 season. However, today, the 41-year-old does have the role of a franchise quarterback. While Joe Burrow runs the Bengals’ offense, Flacco serves more like a backup and mentor to the rising stars. While Gronkowski surely presented a strong case, only time will tell whether Flacco gets inducted into the Hall of Fame or not.