The New York Jets have found their mentor for Sam Darnold, reportedly signing former Super Bowl MVP Joe Flacco to join New York for the 2020 season.
Flacco is signing a one-year deal worth up to $4.5 million, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, giving him the opportunity to compete for the backup spot this season. It will also be a reunion for general manager Joe Douglas, who served as a scout with the Baltimore Ravens when they drafted Flacco in 2008.
The Denver Broncos released Flacco in March, just over a year after they traded a fourth-round pick for him in 2019. He appeared in eight games this past season, completing 65.3% of his passes with an 85.1 quarterback rating, 1,822 passing yards and a 6-5 TD-INT ratio.
Flacco underwent neck surgery in April, but doctors expect him to be cleared before the regular season begins in September. While the recovery timeline will keep him from playing in the preseason, the 35-year-old should be the favorite to become New York’s No. 2 quarterback.
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The former first-round pick brings an impressive resume to the table with 218 touchdowns, a Super Bowl ring and more than 40,000 passing yards in his career. Flacco should prove to be an excellent mentor for Darnold and could be a serviceable fill-in starter if he goes down.