It appears the New York Jets have an elite backup quarterback.
On Friday, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported former Baltimore Ravens starting QB and Super Bowl XLVII Most Valuable Player Joe Flacco was putting pen to paper on a one-year deal with the New York Jets:
Jets are signing former Super Bowl MVP Joe Flacco to a one-year deal, sources tell ESPN. Jets GM Joe Douglas was a Ravens’ scout in 2008, when Baltimore drafted Flacco in round one. Now Flacco will rejoin Douglas, and compete for the backup job when he’s healthy and ready.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) May 22, 2020
Joe Flacco’s 1-year deal with the Jets is worth $1.5 million that with incentives can bring it to $4.5 million, per source. https://t.co/VDrmdz4yfM
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) May 22, 2020
Flacco started for the Ravens from 2008 through 2018, but he lost his job to injury and then to standout rookie and 2019 NFL MVP Lamar Jackson. Baltimore traded Flacco to the Broncos in February 2019, and he made eight total appearances for Denver before a neck injury that required offseason surgery prematurely ended his campaign.
Schefter added that the Jets expect Flacco will be ready to play come September:
Jets’ QB Joe Flacco is expected to be ready to participate in training camp without contact, per source, but he is expected to be cleared from his neck surgery in September.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) May 22, 2020
The 35-year-old will likely enter training camp second on the Gang Green depth chart behind third-year pro Sam Darnold.
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