Broncos do as expected and place Joe Flacco on IR
Facing an extended absence anyway, Joe Flacco (neck) was placed on IR by the Denver Broncos on Friday.
After last Sunday’s loss to the Indianapolis Colts, Joe Flacco was critical of his coaches. On Monday, coincidentally or not since he was seen on the sideline being worked on, a neck injury diagnosis surfaced. Facing a 4-6 week absence anyway with a bulging disc in his neck, Flacco was placed on season-ending IR Friday.
Flacco was the latest acquisition by Broncos’ general manager John Elway to address a need at quarterback. And not surprisingly, the former Super Bowl MVP averaged less than 228 passing yards per game this season with six touchdowns and five interceptions for the 2-6 Broncos.
With rookie Drew Lock not yet deemed ready to play, health-wise after a preseason thumb injury, Brandon Allen will make his first NFL start for Denver on Sunday against the Cleveland Browns. Rookie Brett Rypien will be promoted from the practice squad to be the No. 2 quarterback. The three current Broncos’ quarterbacks have exactly zero regular-season pass attempts between them on their resumes heading into Sunday’s game. (This is where you go to your fantasy football waiver wire and add the Browns’ defense as a Week 9 streamer.)
Broncos are placing Joe Flacco on injured reserve, per source. Flacco’s season is over.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 1, 2019
Brandon Allen starts Sunday vs. Cleveland, with Denver promoting QB Brett Rypien from practice squad to back up Allen.
If not for his neck injury, Flacco’s level of play would have eventually put him on the bench when Lock is ready to go. The Broncos aren’t going anywhere this season, so trotting out an incapable veteran signal-caller would have reached a point of not being worthwhile.
Upon getting him from the Baltimore Ravens in a trade last offseason, the Broncos restructured Flacco’s contract to lessen some of the financial burden. But he still has cap hits of $23.65 million and $27.65 million in the next two seasons, with a total dead-money hit of $23.8 million and cap savings totaling $27.5 million if he is a pre-June 1, 2020 cut.
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The financials do feel pretty prohibitive. But Flacco’s 2019 season is over, and his time with the Broncos is almost surely over too.