NY Jets finally land their backup quarterback by signing Joe Flacco

The NY Jets have reportedly signed their desired backup QB in Joe Flacco

The NY Jets were showing interest in signing a veteran backup quarterback over the past few weeks, and now it appears as though they’ve finally landed their guy in the form of longtime Baltimore Ravens QB Joe Flacco.

As first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Jets have reportedly signed Flacco to a one-year, $1.5 million contract worth up to $4.5 million with incentives.

Despite drafting FIU quarterback James Morgan in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL Draft and re-signing the incumbent David Fales, the Jets remained interested in adding a more experienced backup.

This made sense given the little experience that both Fales and Morgan possessed. And few available options were likely more appealing than Flacco.

The 12-year veteran had spent last season with the Denver Broncos starting eight games before going down with a neck injury that would end his season prematurely.

But of course, Flacco will be best remembered for his time with the Ravens where he led his team to a Super Bowl victory earning MVP honors for his performance. And the connection between the Jets and Flacco makes a ton of sense too.

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Current Jets general manager Joe Douglas was working as an area scout for the Ravens when the team originally drafted Flacco back in 2008. Douglas’ input went a long way towards Baltimore eventually making Flacco their first-round selection.

With the team slated to go into 2020 with the combination of Fales and the unproven Morgan as their backup quarterbacks, Flacco will undoubtedly be a huge upgrade. However, he may take some time to get in shape.

When could NY Jets fans expect Joe Flacco to be ready?

The 35-year-old underwent offseason neck surgery and is still in the process of rehabbing. That said, he’s expected to participate in non-contact drills whenever training camp starts and be ready to play by the start of the season in September.

Ideally, he’ll never see the field.

But at the very least, the Jets finally have themselves a capable backup with plenty of starting experience to not only serve as an excellent insurance policy, but to serve as a true mentor to Sam Darnold.

As great as this news is for the Jets, it may be even better news for the development of their franchise quarterback.

And with a base salary of just $1.5 million, that’s about as good of a price as you could have expected to get.