Joe Flacco, a South Jersey native who led the Baltimore Ravens to a Super Bowl title in 2013, will be traded to the Denver Broncos when the NFL’s new league year begins, ESPN is reporting.
Although teams can’t comment on the deal until March 13, ESPN says the Ravens will receive a midround draft pick for the former Super Bowl MVP.
Flacco, 34, was sidelined by a hip injury after leading the Ravens to a 4-5 record this season. In his place, rookie Lamar Jackson went 6-1 to help Baltimore make the playoffs (they lost to the Chargers in the AFC wild-card round).
Flacco was cleared to play in December, but Jackson kept the starting spot. It was the first time Flacco had been a backup since getting drafted by the Ravens with the 18th overall pick in 2008.
The move indicates the Ravens are going all-in with Jackson, 22, as their starter.
Flacco will be joining a Broncos organization that has struggled to find consistency at quarterback since Peyton Manning retired. Journeyman Case Keenum went 6-10 as the starter in 2018, and in 2017, the Broncos started three quarterbacks: Trevor Siemian, Brock Osweiler and Paxton Lynch.
Flacco played high school football at Audubon, and began his college career at Pittsburgh before transferring to Delaware.
