Wild week for Jets QB Joe Flacco results in TNF appearance

Ravens

Wild week for Jets QB Joe Flacco results in TNF appearance

Joe Flacco is back, this time wearing a Jets jersey after he replaced the injured Sam Darnold against the Denver Broncos on Thursday night.

The former Ravens quarterback completed both of his passes for 16 yards, but his appearance was short-lived. Darnold returned from his apparent shoulder injury to finish off the first half. Even so, Flacco’s primetime appearance marked the culmination of a crazy week for the 35-year-old.

Flacco was listed as inactive Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts but was nowhere to be found on the team’s injury report all week. Then, hours before Thursday night’s game, the Jets released backup signal caller Mike White, who had been promoted from their practice squad three weeks prior. That allowed New York to activate him for the first time since Oct. 27, 2019.

Darnold’s injury allowed Flacco to take the field against Denver, the team that released him in March citing a failed physical. The Super Bowl XLVII MVP suffered a herniated disk in his neck during his final start for the Broncos, landing on injured reserve. He underwent surgery on the neck in April and signed a one-year deal with the Jets in May, knowing he would miss the first few weeks of the season.

While the Jets were able to pull Flacco off their bench when they needed him, the Broncos’ quarterback situation is in disarray. Starting QB Drew Lock is out with a shoulder injury of his own, forcing Denver to start Brett Rypien against the Jets after Jeff Driskel underwhelmed in Week 3. The Broncos expect Lock to return by Week 6 against the Miami Dolphins.