Jets To Start Joe Flacco In Week 11

A third quarterback will take the reins for the Jets this season. Weeks after coming over from the Eagles in a trade, Joe Flacco will be given the nod against the Dolphins on Sunday, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com tweets.

Flacco went from being inactive to being Mike White‘s backup. After White’s four-interception day against the Bills, Robert Saleh will give Flacco a try. This will be Flacco’s fifth Jets start. He appeared in five games and started four in relief of Sam Darnold last season. This will be Flacco’s 176th career start. Among players never selected for a Pro Bowl, that is first all time.

Zach Wilson suffered a PCL injury Oct. 25 and initially faced a two- to four-week timetable. Although the rookie has returned to practice, the Jets do not view him as being 100%, Cimini adds. This, along with a Dolphins blitz-heavy defense that limited Lamar Jackson last week, will lead to Flacco. A 14th-year veteran, Flacco did not see any time for the Eagles this season.

Saleh previously said the Jets’ quarterback situation would sort itself out organically, with signs pointing to White having a legitimate chance to keep Wilson on the bench. Despite White’s 400-yard day that keyed a Jets upset of the Bengals, the fourth-year passer’s stock has undoubtedly dipped a bit after his outing against the Bills. White will be Flacco’s backup in Week 11, keeping Wilson out of action.

Flacco, 36, completed a career-low 55% of his passes for a woeful Jets team in 2020, averaging 6.4 yards per attempt. He signed with the Eagles on a one-year deal worth $3.5MM in March. Flacco’s playing-time increase would be good news for the Eagles, who could see their trade compensation rise from a 2022 sixth-round pick to a fifth. Flacco would need to play 50% of the Jets’ offensive snaps in at least four games for the pick to move into Round 5, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

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