Joe Flacco‘s return to the Big Apple will not result in an immediate starting role. Mike White will take over for the injured Zach Wilson in Week 8, Robert Saleh said Wednesday (via SNY’s Ralph Vacchiano, on Twitter).
Reacquired from the Eagles on Monday, Flacco will not return to the Jets’ facility until Friday, Saleh added. It is unlikely the 36-year-old quarterback will dress Sunday, Brian Costello of the New York Post notes (on Twitter). Josh Johnson is expected to be active to serve as White’s backup.
[RELATED: Jets’ Wilson To Miss 2-4 Weeks]
White took over for the injured Wilson in Week 7’s blowout loss to the Patriots but has never started an NFL game. Sunday marked the Western Kentucky alum’s first regular-season action since the Cowboys drafted him in the 2018 fifth round. The Jets faced scrutiny this offseason for not adding a veteran to serve as a Wilson mentor/QB2. While they rectified that shortly after Wilson went down, Flacco has a new system to learn after playing under Adam Gase in 2020.
White completed 20 of 32 passes for 202 yards against New England, throwing one touchdown pass and two picks. The Jets host the Bengals in Week 8. An extremely well-traveled veteran, Johnson has not thrown a regular-season pass since making three starts with Washington in 2018. Prior to that, Johnson went six years without throwing a pass in a regular-season game.
So without Flacco starting the Jets are 10 point underdogs instead of 9.
I like Joe Flacco, but I still don’t see the point of the trade. Wilson hasn’t been placed on the IR yet, as far as I know. The Jets should be collecting picks before the deadline, not giving them up. If you’re not comfortable with White starting while Wilson’s out, give the starts to Josh Johnson.