Veteran QB Joe Flacco signed a 1 year deal with the Philly Eagles on Tuesday. After 14 seasons spanning 3 teams, Flacco will return to his hometown Philadelphia to back up presumed starter Jalen Hurts.
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Eagles signing QB Joe Flacco. pic.twitter.com/VJlfzddvs3
— NFL (@NFL) March 23, 2021
“Rooting for the home team again… Hope I can find this shirt 🦅 #gobirds #flyeaglesfly” – @JoeFlacco pic.twitter.com/2RFKyjglkL
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) March 24, 2021
Skip Bayless was not enthusiastic about the signing at all. Jalen Hurts can terrorize defences because of his superior running ability. Flacco on the other hand is a more conventional pocket passer who isn’t known for his mobility. Thus Bayless believes this to be a rather weird signing for the Eagles.
Flacco: During regular seasons he’s often Fluke-o. During postseasons he has been all-world. Weird signing for the Eagles. Can’t run Jalen Hurts’ offense. Is it possible Philly will give Flacco a chance to win the job? Say it ain’t so, Joe. #WhyEaglesWhy
— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) March 24, 2021
Joe Flacco’s career so far
Flacco spent his first 11 seasons as an NFL quarterback in Baltimore. The former first-round pick was a polarizing figure in Baltimore. He led the Ravens to win the Super Bowl in 2012 and was named Super Bowl MVP. Flacco’s ability to take over playoffs games was feared across the league. But Joe rarely put on consistent long stretches of top tier QB performance, even though he was paid like one.
Most Valuable Ravens of the decade per PFF WAR
1. Joe Flacco
2. Marshal Yanda
3. Lamar Jackson
4. Lardarius Webb
5. Jimmy Smith(powered by @awscloud) pic.twitter.com/GgpzRQXgl5
— PFF (@PFF) May 29, 2020
Flacco was traded to the Denver Broncos in 2019 but wasn’t able to make much of a contribution. He was injured after the 8th game of the season and the team went 2-6 under him. He had thrown for 1,822 yards, six touchdowns and five interceptions during that time.
Flacco spent the 2020 season as a member of the New York Jets. He filed in for starter Sam Darnold and finished the season with 864 yards, six touchdowns and three interceptions. However, the team didn’t win a single game under his leadership.
What to expect from Joe Flacco in Philadelphia.
There won’t be any sort of QB controversy on the Eagles since Jalen Hurts—barring injury—will open as the starting option for Week 1. In Flacco, they at least have an experienced passer who can take over in an emergency.
“We’ve always tried to value that position and have depth at that position. I don’t see any of that changing here as we go forward,” general manager Howie Roseman said last week. “We want to have a really strong quarterback room. We feel like we have incredible coaches on the offensive side of the ball and the defensive side of the ball who can maximize quarterback play.”
welcome to the birds @JoeFlacco #FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/aZkgbhxHiw
— Giovanni the Philly Sports Podcaster (@realsjsgiovanni) March 23, 2021
Joe Flacco’s addition will come as a huge relief for starter Jalen Hurts. The 36-year-olds signing in all likeliness means that the Eagles will not look to draft a QB with the 6th pick in the upcoming NFL draft.
Also read: NFL Pro Day 2021 Schedule: List of Every Upcoming NFL Pro Day Ahead of 2021 NFL Draft