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The football media is currently focused on the status of Aaron Rodgers but there is another one-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback who is slightly younger than him and whose future is also in doubt. Joe Flacco is the second-oldest quarterback in the NFL, and his contract with the New York Jets is expiring.
Flacco has had an illustrious career for someone who was forced to transfer from an FBS team to the Division I FCS Delaware Fightin’ Blue Hens. He has thrown for 42,320 passing yards, 19th-most all-time. He was the first rookie quarterback to ever win two playoff games and make it to the conference championship game in his first year. And of course, he shocked everyone and won the 2012 Super Bowl.
Will Flacco be back for the 2023 season?
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Joe Flacco’s Scrappy College Career
Joe Flacco completed 1-of-4 passes for 11 yards in his first year as a backup quarterback at the University of Pittsburgh. Pessimistic about his chances of ever starting there, he transferred to Delaware. In fact, he didn’t even think he was going to be drafted.
In his junior season, he threw for 2,783 yards, 18 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions after sitting out his sophomore year due to transfer rules. The team went 5-6 and missed the FCS playoffs. Flacco asked Coach K.C. Keeler if he would allow him to play baseball. Keeler asked him, Why do you want to change sports when you’re on track to make it to the NFL?
His coach was right. Flacco threw for 4,263 yards, 23 touchdowns, and five interceptions his senior season and led the 8-3 Fightin’ Blue Hens to the FCS National Championship Game, where they lost to Appalachian State. Flacco wowed at the Senior Bowl and was drafted No. 18 by the Baltimore Ravens, making him the highest-drafted FCS player since Steve McNair in 1995.
Joe Flacco’s NFL Career
After Kyle Boller hurt his shoulder in the Ravens’ second preseason game, Flacco took over as QB1. He played all 16 games and completed 60.0% of his passes for 2,971 yards, 14 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions as the Ravens went 11-5.
Over the next six seasons, Flacco completed 3,000 yards each season and threw for 20 or more touchdowns five times. His best season came in 2016 when he set career highs in completions, attempts, completion percentage (to that point), and yards (4,317). But that was his peak.
The Ravens felt Flacco was declining and drafted Lamar Jackson in 2018, proceeding to trade Flacco to the Denver Broncos after the season ended. Flacco would be the veteran mentor to Drew Lock for Lock’s rookie season. That would be his role for the rest of his career.
He joined the Jets to back up Sam Darnold in 2020. He joined the Eagles to back up Jalen Hurts in 2021. He was traded back to New York to back up Zach Wilson when Wilson got injured. He was supposed to back up Wilson in 2022 once again, but he played better than Wilson, throwing for 901 yards, five touchdowns, and three picks in the first three games of the season. However, when Wilson got benched midway through the season, Mike White and Chris Streveler were the ones to replace him. Flacco did start Week 18, as White was injured (ribs), but he only threw for 149 yards on 18-of-33 passing.
Is Joe Flacco the Jets' QB in 2023?
The Jets only have Wilson and Streveler under contract for 2023. Neither is a franchise quarterback or someone who could help a team make a playoff run. Joe Flacco isn’t either at this point. His once strong arm is shot. He averaged 5.5 yards per attempt in 2022 and only put up a couple of 300-yard games early in 2022 because he threw the ball 40 or 50 times per game.
The Jets are linked to Aaron Rodgers and Derek Carr as possible offseason targets.
Joe Flacco’s Future in the NFL
Should Joe Flacco retire?
The man has made over $174 million in his career playing football. He’s won a Super Bowl. He’s squeezed about as much out of his career as he possibly could.
His decision might be made for him anyway. What NFL team wants him?
He graded at 53.5, according to PFF. That was worse than Deshaun Watson, Skylar Thompson, Sam Ehlinger, Nate Sudfeld, Logan Woodside, and Davis Mills (but better than Zach Wilson) played in 2022. Flacco is going to be one year older, and there’s going to be a whole new class of rookie QBs coming in. Any team can find a younger signal-caller who would play better than Flacco.
Joe Flacco had an inspiring career, but it’s time to hang it up.
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