NY Jets QB Joe Flacco was the star of Tuesday's practice

Age is just a number when you're an "elite" quarterback like NY Jets' QB Joe Flacco, who just enjoyed one of his best practices of training camp.

The "Is Joe Flacco an elite quarterback?" debate may never end, but Flacco has been making his snaps count in camp and put together a fine performance on Tuesday.

Zach Wilson's promising injury update means the second-year quarterback could start as soon as Week 1 against the Baltimore Ravens. If the Jets don't want to rush Wilson back to the field, however, Flacco serves as the obvious choice to take starting snaps against his old team.

In Wilson's absence, Flacco completed 14-of-17 passes and recorded four touchdowns. Those numbers make you easily forget that Flacco is 37 years old — he's not returning to his prime form anytime soon, but the man can still throw a football.

NY Jets QB Joe Flacco shows off his arm during Tuesday's practice

Earlier this month, head coach Robert Saleh made headlines when he said Flacco should be a full-time starter in the league and gushed about how well Flacco fit in the quarterback room.

Assuming he recovers from injury, Wilson remains the team's clear QB1 for the upcoming season and deserves the chance to take a second-year leap in his career.

Should Wilson miss time, though, Flacco poses as an excellent short-term stopgap at the position. The former Super Bowl champion carries a wealth of knowledge and experience as he enters his third year with the Jets, finishing 2021 with 338 yards, three touchdowns, and a 64.3 pass completion rate.

Flacco may get his opportunity to prove himself earlier rather than later and could face the franchise that drafted him in 2008 when the Jets square off against the Ravens in Week 1. He may have donned the black and purple for over a decade, but not anymore.

Joe Flacco has long played second fiddle to a line of quarterbacks including Wilson, Sam Darnold, and Jalen Hurts — this season, can Flacco show he's more than "just" a backup?