Philadelphia Eagles free agency: What does Joe Flacco bring to Philly?

It seems that the rumors of the Philadelphia Eagles selecting a quarterback with their first-round pick will finally be silenced. In the later hours of March 23rd, the Birds officially announced that they had signed veteran quarterback, Joe Flacco, to a one-year deal worth up to $4 million with incentives.

The move shouldn’t shock anyone as Howie Roseman has shown in the past that he isn’t afraid to invest heavily in a backup quarterback. In 2016, Philly signed Chase Daniel to a three-year, $21 million deal. A year later, they brought back Nick Foles, who would win them four playoff games and a Super Bowl trophy during his two-year tenure. Even Josh McCown found some action in 2019 after being signed to a one-year deal.

The question is this. Why Flacco of all people? What made him the most attractive candidate to back up Jalen Hurts for the upcoming season? Well, there are two reasons.

Bringing in Flacco signals a fresh start for the Philadelphia Eagles

It wasn’t a question of whether or not the Eagles were going to sign a veteran quarterback. It was a question of who they were going to sign.

The team had many options in free agency, one of which being the aforementioned Foles. That news broke via ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. While bringing back Number 9 would have made some sense (he crafted a 10-2 record during his second stint in Philly), it wouldn’t have been a healthy move for the organization.

Unlike Foles, Flacco doesn’t have a statue right outside the stadium. Signing him is the equivalent of taking the first step in a new direction. No longer will the Eagles have to deal with quarterback controversies and drama-filled reports like they did with Wentz and Foles. The focus is Jalen Hurts, and Jalen Hurts only.

Flacco also brings experience to the Philadelphia Eagles quarterback room

Entering his 14th season, it’s still safe to say that Flacco has some tread left on the tires. He’s started in 175 regular-season games during his career, playing for the Ravens, Broncos, and most recently the Jets. During this time, the quarterback has thrown for over 40,000 yards and 224 touchdowns.

Flacco also provides experience in the postseason department as well. During his Super Bowl run at the end of the 2012-2013 season, one in which he threw for11 touchdowns and zero interceptions in four games, Flacco has started in 15 playoff games during his career, and he’s posted a 10-5 record.

While he’s obviously not the player that he used to be, Flacco proved last season he was still serviceable in emergency situations. The New Jersey native started in four games in 2020, completing 55 percent of his passes for six touchdowns and three interceptions.

He wasn’t able to register a win in any of those contests, but it’s hard to put all of the blame on him. The Jets were a dumpster fire for most of the season, due to horrific play, a lack of talent, and an absurd amount of injuries.

In a perfect world, the Eagles wouldn’t have to worry about him starting any games, but with the number of injuries the team has had to their quarterbacks over the past few years, it’s just the harsh reality they’ll always have to deal with.