Joe Flacco: Potential 2019 landing spots in free agency

Everybody knew it was only a matter of time before Joe Flacco was done as Baltimore Ravens starting quarterback. It’s just unfortunate.

The man had helped the franchise to its greatest run of sustained success in history. In fact, he’s the best quarterback the organization has ever had. Maybe not a future Hall of Famer but a Super Bowl MVP who got them to the playoffs several times and won some huge games for them. Still, the NFL has always been a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately league. Flacco had not made the playoffs since 2014 and was battling both health and consistency issues.

Things finally came to a head in November when injury forced him to the sideline. In his place, rookie Lamar Jackson led the team to a 3-1 mark and has then on the cusp of their first playoff run in four years. Though not always pretty, the fact is the team has responded to him as the Ravens had hoped when he was drafted in the 1st round.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network has since confirmed the decision is already made. The team will move forward with Jackson. Flacco will likely be released next offseason and become a free agent. The question now becomes obvious. Where does he go next? Here are some teams to consider.

From @NFLGameDay: Supplanted #Ravens starting QB Joe Flacco is expected to be one of the most talked-about free agents of 2019. For real. pic.twitter.com/5KuHVoDc4f
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 16, 2018

Jacksonville Jaguars

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This is the most obvious landing spot. Jacksonville is moving on from Blake Bortles. However, odds are they aren’t interested in starting over with a rookie draft pick. Their roster is built to win now. Flacco is actually the kind of player who fits what they do. He can operate in a run-oriented system, take shots off play action and not make too many mistakes to hurt the defense. He’s been doing it his entire career in Baltimore.

Washington Redskins

The future of Alex Smith is very much in doubt after his harrowing leg injury that resulted in a compound fracture followed by an infection that kept in the hospital for weeks. People aren’t sure if he’ll ever play again. That leaves the Redskins with a tough decision. Do they hit the reset button now or try to buy time until he’s back. Flacco would be the perfect option for the latter. He can keep their offense well-managed while the defense, hopefully, takes care of the heavy lifting.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

This one might surprise a lot of people, but there are reasons to think it’s at least a possibility. Jameis Winston can’t be called an absolute lock to be around beyond 2018. Not with his mix of off-the-field issues and turnover problems. Ryan Fitzpatrick is also likely gone. The Buccaneers have a good offense in place already. All they have to do is bulk up the defense and they can be competitive. Flacco could be the sort of veteran presence they need to get over the hump.

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