Joe Flacco signs one-year deal with New York Jets

Former Ravens and Broncos quarterback Joe Flacco is signing a one-year deal with the New York Jets.

Former Super Bowl MVP Joe Flacco is heading to the Big Apple. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Flacco is signing a one-year deal with the New York Jets. The deal is worth $1.5 million, but has incentives that could drive it up to $4.5 million.

Flacco is coming off offseason neck surgery, but is expected to be ready to participate in NFL training camp. The expectation is he will be cleared by September and is in position to be Sam Darnold’s backup when the 2020 season begins.

Adam Gase felt Flacco would sign with the Jets earlier this week, but Flacco was still talking to other teams. He wasn’t ready to commit to a deal until today. New York’s GM Joe Douglas was a scout with the Baltimore Ravens when they drafted Flacco in 2008, and the two are now reuniting with the Jets.

The New York Jets take a flier on QB Joe Flacco

Flacco spent 2019 with the Denver Broncos, but after a mix of poor play and injuries, he lost the job to Drew Lock. Flacco went 2-6, throwing for 1,822 yards with six touchdowns and five interceptions.

He was drafted by the Ravens in 2008 out of Delaware and was the starting quarterback until 2018. Flacco played in 16 games in every season from 2008 to 2017, with the exception 2015, when he started in ten games.

Flacco led the Ravens to a 10-6 record in 2012 and rode a hot postseason to a Super Bowl 47 championship for the Ravens over the San Francisco 49ers. He leveraged that championship into a huge payday, but was never able to return Baltimore to a high level.

In 2018, a poor start led to the Ravens replacing Flacco with Lamar Jackson at quarterback. Following that season, Flacco was dealt to Denver. Now after a poor season with the Broncos, Flacco will look to resurrect his career as a backup.

At 35-years old, it remains to be seen if Flacco has enough left in him to recapture a starting job. If Darnold is to get hurt, then Flacco will have an audition for any interested teams as he will be set to reenter the free agency market in 2021.