Joe Flacco is one of the handful of 40-plus-year-old quarterbacks still suiting up and starting games in the 2025 NFL season. On the flip side, a few familiar faces—some younger than Flacco, mind you—are calling games from behind the desk instead of commanding huddles. One of them? Former Atlanta Falcons star Matt Ryan. And that naturally raises the question: Is Matty Ice still fit enough to make a comeback to pro football?

Well, Ryan might’ve just answered that one himself. The 2016 MVP is currently serving as an analyst for CBS Sports. During a chat with sideline reporter Aditi Kinkhabwala (who reportedly spent some time with Flacco and his family ahead of the Cincinnati Bengals vs. New York Jets Week 8 clash), Ryan tossed a playful question her way: Did Flacco have any advice for the 40-year-old still trying to keep up?

Kinkhabwala didn’t miss a beat. Channeling Flacco’s words, she fired back with a simple: “Drink more water.” That simple exchange surely drew a few laughs, but when another host chimed in and mentioned that a couple of teams might still want to see Ryan back on the field, the Falcons legend quickly set the record straight. “I’m good,” he said calmly with a grin on his face.

Translation: Matt Ryan has just entered his 40s, sitting behind the desk, and is probably cramped up. But unlike Flacco, the 4x Pro Bowler has no intention to line up behind the center and run the offense for any team. Before hanging up his cleats, Ryan spent 15 seasons in the league and started every game that he played.

He started fourteen seasons for the Falcons, leading the team to six playoff appearances and three division titles. Following his final season with the Atlanta Falcons in 2021, where he led the team to a 7-10 record, he had a brief stint with the Indianapolis Colts before finally retiring. Fast forward to now, and the 40-year-old has been serving as a CBS analyst since then.

Matt Ryan believes in Joe Flacco and the Bengals

When the Bengals traded for Joe Flacco a few weeks ago, many people labeled it a desperate move, and rightfully so. Cincy had just lost Joe Burrow to an injury, Jake Browning couldn’t get the offense rolling, and the team was on the verge of staring down a third straight losing season.

But with Flacco under the center, the Bengals have managed to steady the ship a bit. They’re 1-1 with Flacco starting and sit at 3-4 overall heading into their Week 8 showdown with the Jets. And Matt Ryan believes that the Bengals could eventually make it to the playoffs.

“You’ve got three games that you’re going to be favored in. Jets, Dolphins, Cardinals. Win the games you should. That gets them to six wins,” Ryan said on CBS Sports. “You got four divisional games. Split the divisional games. That gets you to eight wins. You’ve got three games remaining against the Bears, Pats, and the Bills. If you win one of those three, you get to that nine (wins) number.

“I think with the parity in the league this year, the parity in the AFC, nine’s got a real chance to get you there. And if they get in, guess who’s coming back? Joe Burrow. Joe Flacco will have done his job. And Zac Taylor will have problem solved through the month of October.”

The Bengals were 9-8 in the past couple of seasons. But a playoff berth? Nope. They’ve won three games already this season and are now eyeing to win a few more. Nine wins couldn’t do the job in the last two seasons. But Flacco is now expected to lead the Bengals to nine wins. On top of that, Burrow is expected to return late in the regular season. Long story short: while the road ahead is tough, as Matt Ryan believes, expect the Bengals to fight for that playoff berth.