Joe Flacco may not still be elite (or was he ever?), but he certainly is a New York Jet again.
The Philadelphia Eagles traded Flacco to the Jets on Monday for a conditional sixth-round pick.
Sources: The #Eagles are trading Joe Flacco to the #Jets. With Zach Wilson out of action for a few weeks, Flacco is headed back to Florham Park.
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) October 25, 2021
Jets trading a conditional 6th-round pick to Philadelphia that can possibly be a 5th based on play time for QB Joe Flacco, per sources.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 25, 2021
Flacco is headed to New York to presumably fill the void left by Zach Wilson, who is expected to be out for 2-4 weeks with a sprained PCL in his right knee.
Flacco was the Jets’ backup quarterback last season, starting four games when then-starter Sam Darnold went down with an injury. Flacco was 0-4 in those games and Jets fans weren’t particularly bummed to see him go. Mike White, who started for the Jets this past weekend in a 54-13 loss to the New England Patriots, is expected to start again this Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals. Flacco would presumably slide back into his old role, though it’s very possible the Jets could elevate him to play soon if it’s simply about getting a game manager in there to stop the bleeding.
The 36-year-old Flacco signed a one-year deal with the Eagles in the offseason, though he did not play at all for them this season before the trade.
While Flacco was part of the Baltimore Ravens’ Super Bowl-winning squad in 2013, his best days are long behind him. Whether he’ll bring some much-needed veteran leadership to the Jets or simply act as an emergency option, for the time being, NFL fans on social media were pretty quick to chime in about the trade.
The #Jets have traded for veteran quarterback Joe Flacco, who was with them last year, sources confirm. He was with the #Jets in Adam Gase’s offense, so there will be some learning he has to do to get up to speed.
A veteran QB is finally here, though.
— Connor Hughes (@Connor_J_Hughes) October 25, 2021
JOE IS BACK THIS IS NOT A DRILL 🚨 https://t.co/fX8hAvgZBV
— The Exit 52 Podcast (@Exit52Podcast) October 25, 2021
HOWIE IS PLAYING 3D CHECKERS https://t.co/oc9QbKpAKG
— Les Bowen (@LesBowen) October 25, 2021
The Jets traded an actual NFL draft pick for Joe Flacco? For what purpose. https://t.co/iAOkVb2O6p
— Geoff Schwartz (@geoffschwartz) October 25, 2021
I have to watch Joe Flacco again. Wow.
— Dan Hanzus (@DanHanzus) October 25, 2021
If Jets fans are upset about the trade, they can at least take solace in the notion that it’s not like this can make things much worse.
[Mike Garafalo, Adam Schefter]