Joe Flacco to remain Jets starting QB through at least Bengals game

It was less than a full week ago when unhappy New York Jets fans were begging head coach Robert Saleh to bench Joe Flacco in favor of Mike White to fill in for the injured Zach Wilson. Saleh stuck with Flacco and then watched as the Super Bowl XLVII Most Valuable Player completed a miracle rally to erase a late 13-point deficit and guide the Jets to a shocking 31-30 win at the Cleveland Browns on Sunday afternoon. 

Per Colin Martin of SNY, Saleh confirmed on Monday that Flacco will remain his QB1 through at least the Week 3 home game against the 0-2 Cincinnati Bengals this coming Sunday as Wilson continues his recovery from the knee injury he suffered in the preseason. 

"Yeah he'll take another step up [in practice]," Saleh said about Wilson. "It's not going to be much different but he's still going to be in practice, and he's progressing very well. Like the way he's moving. We'll ramp him up just a touch more, get to the reevaluation and make decisions on how he needs to proceed from there."

It's unclear if Wilson will be able to make his regular-season debut at the Pittsburgh Steelers on Oct. 2 or if Saleh would consider keeping Flacco in the lineup if the 37-year-old plays well against Cincinnati. According to ESPN stats, Flacco began Monday third in the entire NFL with 616 passing yards this season. He's 14th with a 90.1 passer rating but 22nd with a 39.9 total QBR. 

"Winning in the NFL is like a drug," Flacco said after Sunday's comeback. "Not that I have experience with drugs, but it is addicting. It’s a powerful thing. This is my seventh start for the Jets and my first win. See that ball right there? I kept it."