Joe Flacco not expected to start for New York Jets, per report
When it was reported that the New York Jets had struck a deal with the Philadelphia Eagles to reunite with quarterback Joe Flacco, many assumed that Flacco was brought in to be the Jets’ short-term starter until the injured Zach Wilson (PCL) makes his return in two to four weeks.
However, according to a report from ESPN’s Rich Cimini, it appears that is not the plan.
The Jets made it official, announcing the Joe Flacco trade for a 2022 conditional sixth-round pick. The Jets still have 9 picks in ‘22, all in the first five rounds.
Flacco comes in as a backup. The plan is to start Mike White until Zach Wilson is healthy. #Jets
— Rich Cimini (@RichCimini) October 26, 2021
Cimini reports that Flacco is coming in as a backup and the team plans to start Mike White until Wilson is healthy.
General manager Joe Douglas gave up a conditional sixth-round pick for Flacco’s services. The selection will upgrade to a fifth-rounder if Flacco plays more than 50 percent of the Jets’ offensive snaps in four games.
Flacco has experience playing in an offense from the Mike Shanahan coaching tree. He played under offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak with the Ravens in 2014 and then played under offensive coordinator Rich Scangarello with the Broncos in 2019.
Kubiak was the Broncos’ offensive coordinator under Mike Shanahan throughout the late-1990s and early-2000s. Scangarello coached alongside current Jets offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur with the 49ers from 2017-18 as the team’s quarterbacks coach under Kyle Shanahan.
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Should White start on Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals, it would be his first regular-season start in the NFL, coming over three years after he was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the fifth round of the 2018 draft out of Western Kentucky.
In his NFL debut against the Patriots, White relieved Wilson and completed 20 of 32 passes for 202 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions throughout the final two-and-a-half quarters.
White started off on a roll, completing nine of his first 12 passes for 116 yards and a touchdown. Some of those completions were very impressive.
From there, White struggled mightily. He completed 11 of his final 20 passes for 86 yards, no touchdowns, and two interceptions. Most of that yardage came on check-downs against soft defensive coverages. White missed badly on a number of open throws down the field.
New York will hold its first practice in preparation for the Bengals on Wednesday morning.
