Joe Flacco - Pro Football Rumors

Jets QB Zach Wilson To Avoid IR Stint

October 30th, 2021 at 12:46pm CST by Ben Levine

The Jets are optimistic that Zach Wilson can be back on the field for the team’s November 14th game against the Bills. As a result, Wilson won’t be hitting the shelf. Per Connor Hughes of The Athletic (via Twitter), the Jets have decided to not place their rookie quarterback on injured reserve. An IR stint would have caused Wilson to miss the next three games.

Wilson suffered a knee injury during last weekend’s loss to the Patriots, and he’s expected to be sidelined for two to four weeks. The second-overall pick completed 6-of-10 passes for 51 yards before his second quarter exit against New England, and for the season, Wilson has completed 57.5% of his throws for four touchdowns against nine interceptions.

Mike White, who filled in for Wilson last Sunday, will get the first crack at the starting nod. The Jets will use Sunday’s game against the Bengals to help make a determination on next Thursday’s game against the Colts. White could end up starting both contests, but the team will be ready to pivot to Joe Flacco if necessary. The Jets acquired Flacco from the Eagles earlier this week.

The Jets are hoping that Wilson be able to return after those next two games.

Jets To Start Mike White In Week 8

October 27th, 2021 at 11:25am CST by Sam Robinson

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.

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.

Eagles Trade QB Joe Flacco To Jets

October 25th, 2021 at 5:06pm CST by Ben Levine

Joe Flacco is heading back to New York. The Jets have acquired the veteran quarterback from the Eagles, reports NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo (via Twitter).

Philly will acquire a conditional sixth-round pick that could improve to a fifth-round pick based on Flacco’s playing time (per ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Twitter). The sixth-rounder being sent over in this deal originally belonged to the Buccaneers, Sirius XM Radio’s Adam Caplan tweets.

Despite the fact that the Jets pivoted to a rookie quarterback with the number-two pick, the organization decided against signing a veteran QB this past offseason. Now, with Zach Wilson expected to miss multiple weeks with a sprained MCL, the team was scrambling for depth at the position. We got a look at backup Mike White during yesterday’s blowout loss to the Patriots, and the former fifth-round pick threw a touchdown vs. two interceptions in his NFL debut. The Jets are also rostering Josh Johnson on their practice squad.

Flacco spent the 2020 campaign with the Jets and served as Sam Darnold‘s primary backup. The veteran ended up getting into five games (four starts) with New York, completing 55.2 percent of his passes for 864 yards, six touchdowns, and three interceptions. While Flacco struggled during his first stint in New York, he’ll still provide the struggling and inexperienced Jets offense with a veteran presence. Of course, Flacco hasn’t been a full-time starter since the 2017 season, and he didn’t see the field during his brief stay in Philly…so Jets fans should certainly temper expectations.

The 36-year-old somehow parlayed his underwhelming 2020 performance into a one-year, $3.5MM contract with the Eagles to be Jalen Hurts‘ primary backup. Considering Flacco’s lack of playing time in Philly, today’s move makes plenty of sense for the Eagles. The team will now move forward with Gardner Minshew as Hurts’ primary backup. The former Jaguars starter was acquired by the Eagles back in August for a conditional sixth-round pick (a pick they’ve recouped with today’s trade).

Joe Flacco Not Competing With Nick Mullens For Eagles’ Backup Job

July 1st, 2021 at 11:34am CST by Sam Robinson

The 49ers turned to Nick Mullens as Jimmy Garoppolo‘s primary backup over the past three seasons but did not tender him as a restricted free agent. The three-year veteran suffered an elbow injury late last season and has spent much of this year recovering from offseason surgery.

Mullens landed a gig with the Eagles last month, joining the team after the Jets expressed interest. The former UDFA out of Southern Miss has made 16 career starts, but the Eagles are not planning a first- or second-string role for their recent addition.

The team will not hold a Mullens-Joe Flacco backup competition, with Bo Wulf of The Athletic noting the QB2 job will be Flacco’s (subscription required). This is assuming the Eagles go with Jalen Hurts, and not Flacco, as their starter. While this is the expectation, new HC Nick Sirianni has not anointed Hurts as such yet.

Flacco joined the Eagles — his fourth team in four years — on a one-year deal worth $3.5MM in March. The 36-year-old passer’s contract comes fully guaranteed. Philly gave Mullens a one-year, $920K deal that includes $200K guaranteed. Mullens arrived after the Eagles waived rookie UDFA Jamie Newman during their offseason program. The Eagles are not certain to carry three QBs this season, Wulf adds, injecting some uncertainty regarding Mullens’ roster spot.

Last season, Flacco completed a career-low 55% of his passes during a five-game Jets run (four starts). Granted, the veteran was helming one of the league’s worst offenses. The former Super Bowl MVP did stay healthy in 2020, after a neck injury ended his 2019 Broncos tenure and a 2018 hip injury ushered in the Ravens’ Lamar Jackson era. Despite the Eagles bringing in a rather experienced third-string QB, Flacco is on track to work unchallenged as the team’s backup.

Eagles Planning Quarterback Competition?

April 22nd, 2021 at 10:10am CST by Rory Parks

New Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni says that he will not automatically anoint Jalen Hurts as the team’s starting quarterback. Instead, as James Palmer of the NFL Network tweets, Sirianni plans to hold an open competition for the starting job.

At present, the only other QB on the roster is veteran Joe Flacco, whom Philadelphia signed to a one-year, $3.5MM deal last month. Flacco has enjoyed plenty of success in his lengthy career, highlighted by a Super Bowl MVP award, but he has dealt with injuries in recent seasons and has not been a full-time starter since the first half of the 2018 campaign. Hurts, meanwhile, is entering his second season in the league, and while there are still questions about his long-term viability, his brief audition in 2020 had its share of promising moments.

Barring a complete disaster, Sirianni’s job won’t be on the line in 2021, so he shouldn’t feel any pressure to lean on the more experienced hand over a high-upside talent like Hurts. And considering owner Jeffrey Lurie‘s recent comments that he wants his club to build around the second-year pro, it would be very surprising to see anyone other than Hurts under center on Week 1. Perhaps the rookie HC is simply honing his coach-speak skills.

Of course, Sirianni’s alleged plans for a QB competition immediately spurred speculation that the team could take a quarterback with its first-round choice in next week’s draft. But if the Eagles were going to do that, they probably wouldn’t have traded down from the No. 6 overall pick to No. 12. By the time they are on the clock with the No. 12 selection, all five top QB prospects could be gone.

A recent report suggested that Philadelphia could be eyeing a move back into the top-10, but that same report indicated that the team is also interested in another trade down. Further, if the Eagles were to move back up the board, it might not be for a QB at all, but for a cornerback or wide receiver.

At this point, unless Hurts should suffer an injury or spectacularly underperform during training camp, he still looks like the odds-on favorite to be the Eagles’ starting QB, Sirianni’s “open competition” remarks notwithstanding.

Eagles, Joe Flacco Agree To Terms

March 23rd, 2021 at 5:18pm CST by Sam Robinson

Joe Flacco will join his fourth NFL team. The 13-year veteran quarterback agreed to a deal with the Eagles, according to his agency (Twitter link).

Flacco will sign a one-year, $3.5MM deal, with Sirius XM Radio’s Adam Caplan reporting the veteran quarterback can make up to $7.5MM through incentives (Twitter links). That $3.5MM is fully guaranteed.

The former Ravens, Broncos and Jets passer visited the 49ers and Eagles. But the New Jersey native will opt to return closer to home. This will seemingly install Flacco as Jalen Hurts‘ backup.

This agreement figures to affect the draft as well. Following the Eagles’ decision to trade Carson Wentz to the Colts, rumors emerged that the team wanted to bring in competition for Hurts. That would have made a quarterback pick viable at No. 6 overall. However, a subsequent report surfaced indicating owner Jeffrey Lurie preferred the team roll with Hurts as its starter and attempt to see if he can be a long-term solution. This may well have led to the Eagles looking at backup options. At this stage of his career, Flacco certainly profiles as such.

Flacco saw his run as a starter end when the Ravens did not give him his job back after a 2018 hip injury. Lamar Jackson took over, leading the Ravens to trade Flacco the following offseason. Flacco’s Broncos run ended after a second straight midseason injury, this time a neck malady, and the team released him in 2020. The Jets, however, pounced and installed Flacco as Sam Darnold‘s backup. A Darnold injury thrust Flacco back into action; he started four games last season.

Were Flacco to beat out Hurts for Philadelphia’s QB1 gig, it would appear the team’s initial post-Wentz plan has veered off course. But this agreement does provide the team with a proven arm. The former Super Bowl MVP has started 175 of the 176 games he’s played. The 2021 season will be Flacco’s age-36 campaign.

Eagles To Meet With Joe Flacco

March 22nd, 2021 at 9:50am CST by Zachary Links

The Eagles are bringing in Joe Flacco for a visit (Twitter link via PFT). This marks the second known meeting for Flacco this year, following a get-together with the 49ers.

Flacco profiles as a potential backup for Jalen Hurts, though Nate Sudfeld remains unsigned in free agency. Flacco, 36, obviously comes with credentials, but he’s bounced around since parting ways with the Ravens a few years ago. His Broncos tenure was cut short by a neck injury and later found his way to the Jets, where he wound up making four starts in Sam Darnold‘s stead. Flacco threw for six touchdowns against three interceptions, but he averaged just 6.4 yards per throw with a 55% completion rate.

Still, the Eagles see Flacco as a steady hand who can backstop and mentor Hurts as they enter the post-Carson Wentz era. He wouldn’t hurt the cap, either — the South Jersey could likely be had on a one-year deal for the veteran’s minimum.

49ers To Host Joe Flacco On Visit

March 18th, 2021 at 2:08pm CST by Sam Robinson

John Lynch said earlier this offseason he wanted to look at potential veteran backups. The 49ers will do so soon. They are planning to bring in Joe Flacco for a visit, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

Flacco has bounced around since his 11-year Ravens run wrapped after the 2018 season, going to Denver and New York. The former first-round pick worked with 49ers assistant Rich Scangarello during his brief stay as the Broncos’ starter.

This week has produced a flurry of quarterback movement. Several potential options as a Jimmy Garoppolo backup — from Andy Dalton to Mitchell Trubisky to Jacoby Brissett to Ryan Fitzpatrick — have committed elsewhere, leaving the 49ers with a shallower pool of QB2 candidates. Flacco has extensive experience, having started for more than 10 seasons and having won a Super Bowl MVP honor midway through his Baltimore tenure. But his recent play has not exactly made him a flashy addition.

Following a neck injury that ended his Denver stay, Flacco landed with the Jets. Sam Darnold‘s latest injury moved Flacco back into a starting role. He started four games for the Jets last season, throwing six touchdown passes and three interceptions for a team that started 0-13. On a woeful Jets team, Flacco averaged just 6.4 yards per attempt and completed 55% of his passes.

The 49ers have Garoppolo under contract through 2022. Despite his injury issues and high cap numbers, Lynch and Kyle Shanahan have thrown support behind the ex-Patriot backup. The Patriots have been linked to a potential Garoppolo reacquisition, but the 49ers are believed to be OK with keeping their incumbent starter — unless they can land a major upgrade. Deshaun Watson is believed to have the 49ers atop his destination list, but it is unclear how serious the 49ers would be about pushing to acquire the disgruntled Texans QB.

AFC East Notes: Gilmore, Pats, Tua, Jets

November 7th, 2020 at 2:40pm CST by Sam Robinson

Although the Patriots shopped Stephon Gilmore this spring, they hung onto him at the trade deadline after setting a high price for the reigning Defensive Player of the Year. When asked if the Patriots entertained offers for Gilmore, Bill Belichick said he was not aware of that occurring. The Pats gave Gilmore a $5MM pay bump this year but will face a decision on the standout cornerback in 2021. That will be the final season of Gilmore’s five-year, $65MM deal. With Jalen Ramsey and Marlon Humphrey each securing extensions worth north of $19MM per year, thus blowing the lid off a long-stagnant corner market, Gilmore will understandably want to cash in while still in his prime. His potential new contract affected his trade market, Tom Curran of NBC Sports notes. Gilmore will turn 31 just after the start of next season.

Here is the latest from the AFC East:

The Dolphins‘ trove of draft picks in 2021 appears to have affected their decision to move Tua Tagovailoa into their starting lineup now, creating an audition of sorts ahead of what looks like a strong quarterback draft. However, owner Stephen Ross was not behind the decision to insert Tagovailoa into the starting lineup, per the Miami Herald’s Armando Salguero. With Ross a major supporter of the quarterback the Dolphins were eyeing for more than a year before this year’s draft, it would certainly be interesting if the team continues to be linked to a potential first-round QB pick ahead of the 2021 draft.
With their 0-8 record at the bottom of the league, the Jets will continue to be linked to 2021 QB prospects — namely Trevor Lawrence. Their 2018 first-round draftee’s status will move the Jets closer to the Clemson quarterback. Sam Darnold is now unlikely to play against the Patriots, after suffering a shoulder setback against the Chiefs. Adam Gase said Friday that Darnold told him he was not throwing as well as he hoped, and the Jets on Saturday downgraded their starter to doubtful for Monday’s game. Joe Flacco is in line to receive a third start as a Jet.
More trouble for the AFC’s New York franchise. Jets players and their agents alerted the NFLPA recently about cameras existing in the team’s locker room, according to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. Specifically, the NFLPA contacted the NFL about surveillance equipment being hidden in smoke detectors in the Jets locker room, Mehta adds. The league indicated cameras have existed in and around the team’s locker room since 2008 and that the players were aware of them. Per several anonymous current and former players, via Mehta, that does not appear to be the case. No consent form permitting cameras is believed to have been signed, and Mehta adds the NFLPA is “troubled” by the Jets unilaterally placing cameras in the locker room.

Jets Notes: Bell, Gase, Darnold, Anderson

October 15th, 2020 at 4:41pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here is the latest from the Jets, beginning with some fallout from their disappointing Le’Veon Bell contract:

Adam Gase took issue with Bell’s social media habits and was said to have expressed dissatisfaction with the running back last season. That was a two-way street, to a degree. Bell expressed disappointment in Gase’s game plans in 2019, per Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. Bell discussed the prospect of requesting a trade this offseason, should his Jets situation fail to improve, but decided instead to stay the course, Mehta adds. This, however, ended up being a moot subject — largely because of Bell’s disastrous contract. The Jets, who previously shopped Bell’s lucrative deal, released him Tuesday.
The Jets will be without Sam Darnold again this week against the Dolphins. The team will hold its starting quarterback out of its Week 6 contest, giving offseason addition Joe Flacco another start. Flacco averaged just 5.9 yards per attempt in a 195-yard day against the Cardinals.
By Sunday, Darnold will have missed seven career starts in his three-season NFL tenure. Durability may be a concern, even though Darnold’s absences have been related to two separate injuries and mononucleosis. The former No. 3 overall pick’s coverage recognition, however, has been a discussion point this season, per Rich Cimini of ESPN.com. The Jets will need to decide on Darnold’s fifth-year option by May, but they may be in position to draft Clemson prodigy Trevor Lawrence. More intel on Darnold will be necessary by season’s end, even if the team does not land the No. 1 overall pick.
Robby Anderson‘s Panthers pact has thus far worked out well for Carolina. On a three-game win streak, the Panthers have seen the former Jets deep threat thrive in an all-around role. Anderson has eclipsed 99 receiving yards in four of Carolina’s five games and leads the team — by more than 100 yards — with 489. Anderson did not produce a 1,000-yard season with the Jets and intimated he prefers his Panthers role. “I love being in this system because for so long it was, ‘Oh, he’s only a deep threat,'” Anderson said during an interview with Josina Anderson (via Cimini). “It used to eat me up because I’m like, ‘I know what I can do.’ I love that I’m in this offense, where I really get to catch and run and play football.” Anderson signed a two-year, $20MM deal ($12MM guaranteed) with Carolina.