5 Potential Landing Spots For Joe Flacco After Lamar Jackson's Emergence
By Henry McKenna
There’s little Lamar Jackson can do to lose his job before the 2019 offseason. Jackson has showed enough promise as a passer and runner to take over at quarterback for the Baltimore Ravens after a 22-10 win over the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 16. The Ravens are likely a playoff team — Jackson is their franchise quarterback.
That means Joe Flacco will be playing somewhere else in 2019. But where?
There isn’t a natural fit for Flacco, who could prove costly with huge risks after a few shaky seasons. Despite his warts, he’s a Super Bowl-winning quarterback, who will find a home. These are the most likely landing spots.
1. Denver Broncos: It would be a bold move to put Case Keenum and Flacco on the same team in a quarterback battle. But if John Elway is desperate — and that’s how he’s beginning to look — then perhaps he’ll give the risky move a spin. Elway could also cut Keenum, who would carry $10 million in dead cap, to sign Flacco. Then — like so many teams on this list — the Broncos could draft and develop another quarterback behind Flacco.
2. Jacksonville Jaguars: The worry for the Jaguars would be that Flacco is Blake Bortles 2.0. They really aren’t that different as quarterbacks. Flacco has been unable to carry the Ravens in recent years — and he’s had plenty of help on defense. The 2019 Jaguars might look at lot like the 2018 Ravens from a roster construction standpoint. Ultimately, the Jaguars might think Flacco’s veteran presence will be enough to bring them back to the playoffs, where Flacco historically thrives.
3. Washington Redskins: If Flacco joined the Redskins, the team’s quarterback cap hit could balloon to a scary number, perhaps somewhere north of $50 million. They’re going to be paying for Alex Smith, whose cap hit is $20.4 million (with $42 million in deep cap, if they release him). They’d pay for Flacco, and then they’d still need a competent backup, which they might be able to find in the draft. If they make that work financially, Flacco could be a good bridge quarterback to help Washington get back to Smith if and when he returns from gruesome his broken leg. Or Flacco could contribute while Washington drafts and develops a youngster.
4. Cincinnati Bengals: Again, Flacco’s arrival would depend upon a veteran quarterback carousel. If the Bengals finally commit to an upheaval, which would include the removal of coach Marvin Lewis, Cincinnati could move on from Andy Dalton, whether by release or by trade. The Bengals could the slide Flacco in as signal-caller while they search for a better option for the future.
5. Miami Dolphins: Will the Dolphins take their out on Ryan Tannehill’s contract? For now Tannehill is a better option than Flacco. But if the Dolphins want to draft a quarterback of the future, perhaps they can find a better financial situation with Flacco, which might allow them to cut bait with the veteran quarterback when a young prospect is ready to take the starting job.