Yes you read that right, Joe Flacco got signed before Cam Newton. The former Ravens and Broncos quarterback signed with the Jets on Friday afternoon. Flacco is the latest of the Jets’ off-season moves, they signed running back Frank Gore earlier this month. Joe Flacco underwent neck surgery earlier in the off-season and isn’t expected to be ready to play until near the beginning of the regular season. Fortunately, there are only virtual meetings so he isn’t missing out on much.
The deal is a 1-year deal, that can be worth up to $4.5 million with incentives. Joe Flacco joins a Jets quarterback room that features Sam Darnold, David Fales, Mike White and James Morgan who was a fourth-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. Flacco adds a veteran presence with playoff experience, as he took the Ravens to the Super Bowl in 2013 (2012 season) and won Super Bowl MVP against the San Francisco 49ers. Joe Flacco is the Baltimore Ravens’ All-Time leader in passing yards with 38,245 yards, passing touchdowns with 212 and completions with 3,499.
In 2019, Flacco played 8 games for the Denver Broncos. He posted 1,822 passing yards, 6 touchdowns, 5 interceptions, a 65.27 completion percentage and a passer rating of 85.1. Sam Darnold missed three games in the 2019 season due to mononucleosis. Darnold went 7-6 as the Jets’ starter in 2019. He threw for 3,024 yards, 19 touchdowns, 13 interceptions, a completion percentage of 61.9 and had a passer rating of 84.3. Joe Flacco is a capable starter who would be able to keep the Jets afloat if Darnold gets hurt or misses time for any reason. With Covid-19 NFL teams need to take their backup quarterback situation more seriously and make sure they have a capable backup that can win games.
