Joe Flacco gets hit with the ultimate compliment from the defensive coordinator he's about to face

Quite the praise from a long-time defensive coach. Wilks has only been New York's DC for seven games. A few years prior to his arrival, Flacco was trusted to take over a few times over the course of three years for the club. It's the players who are now under Wilks' command Flacco thinks about days before facing his former team.

Joe Flacco ready to see familiar faces

Despite 2017 being the last year Flacco was a full-time starter, he has started at least one game in each of the last eight years. From 2020-22, he started nine games and practiced plenty more times against a defense that was being injected with young talent.

Some of that talent is still rocking the green and white, such as defensive tackle Quinnen Williams, defensive end Jermaine Johnson III, and linebacker Jamien Sherwood. No matter the record, Flacco know the mainstays of Wilks' defense will show up.

"I've been with a handful of these guys, and I have a lot of respect for the way they play the game," Flacco told reporters Wednesday. "I know it's probably tough there right now, but I know it's a group that will come ready to play."

If Flacco's career does end up warranting a spot in Canton, his days as a Jet will not be what stands out on his resume. His persistence to keep pushing late into his playing days is matched by the respect he has for the competition, and the respect that is returned back to him.

Wilks will certainly be trying to pull every lever he can with players Flacco remembers well when the Bengals host the Jets Sunday afternoon.