Joe Flacco is likely near the end of his career, which included a Super Bowl MVP Award in one of the best postseasons ever. Nowadays, Flacco is a backup QB on the Jets who will not be ready for Week 1. Here are Flacco’s odds at Mybookie to win 2020 NFL Comeback Player of the Year as well as the Jets’ over/under win total.
Flacco was Baltimore’s starting quarterback from 2008 until midway through the 2018 season, and helped lead the Ravens to the playoffs six times. His claim was the playoffs following the 2012 season when Flacco was named Super Bowl XLVII MVP and tied Joe Montana’s single postseason record for touchdown passes (11) without an interception.
That earned Flacco a six-year contract worth $120.6 million, a record high for a quarterback at the time, but that turned out to be terrible money spent for the Ravens as Flacco never came close to those heights again. He lost his job during the 2018 season to Lamar Jackson; the Ravens went 4-5 with Flacco under center, while Jackson led the team to a 6-1 record down the stretch and a postseason berth.
Flacco was Baltimore’s starting QB for the first 11 seasons of his NFL career, completing 61.7% of his passes for 38,245 yards and 212 touchdowns to 136 interceptions. He had a passer rating of 84.1 and a win-loss record of 96-67. Flacco is 10-5 in the playoffs, with 25 TDs and 10 INTs and an 88.6 rating.
Flacco was traded to Denver in February 2019 for a fourth-round pick. John Elway, the Broncos’ president of football operations and general manager, declared then that Flacco had a “lot of football left in him” and was “just really coming into his prime.”
Flacco opened last season as the starter but was 2-6 under center in 2019, throwing for 1,822 yards with six touchdowns and five interceptions. He completed 65.3% of his passes. The team scored more than 16 points in just two of his eight games. Flacco took a pounding, getting sacked 26 times. Flacco was placed on injured reserve halfway through last season with a herniated disk in his neck. The Broncos released him this past march, which saved the team $10 million against the cap.
In late May 2020, the Jets signed Flacco to be the backup to Sam Darnold – Darnold hasn’t exactly been consistent or a picture of health in his young career, so it’s quite possible that Flacco will get some playing time at some point. Flacco has ties to Jets GM Joe Douglas, who was a Ravens scout from 2000-14 before moving on to the Eagles and last June into the Jets GM’s office.
The Jets, 0-6 over the past two seasons when Darnold didn’t start because of injury or illness, signed Flacco to a one-year, $1.5 million contract to provide veteran insurance.
“I obviously still believe I’m a starting quarterback. You never know what three years down the line is going to look like,” Flacco said upon signing with New York. “So I still have that confidence and the want-to to do that. But at this moment, that’s not my role. My role is to help the team get better and to help a young quarterback see things as clearly as possible and help him on his journey to being a longtime NFL quarterback.”
However, following his offseason neck surgery, Flacco says he likely will not be ready for Week 1. “I can’t speak to exactly when I’m going to be ready, but it will not be day one,” Flacco said. “Obviously, we’ll get with the doctors and I have another checkup come August, so we’ll see where that goes.”
He could be a candidate for the PUP list. The Jets were aware of Flacco’s timetable when they finalized the deal, but it means the Jets still lack a real backup for Sam Darnold. David Fales or fourth-round rookie James Morgan will get the call if Darnold goes down in September. Flacco, acknowledging he knows “nothing at this point” about coach Adam Gase’s offensive system, is participating in the virtual offseason program.
New York opens Week 1 as a 5.5-point underdog in Buffalo.
