Joseph Vincent Flacco was born on January 16, 1985, he is an American football quarterback for the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL).
He played college football at the University of Delaware after transferring from Pittsburgh and was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the first round of the 2008 NFL Draft. Flacco has also played for the Denver Broncos and Philadelphia Eagles.
Flacco was Baltimore’s starting quarterback from 2008 until midway through the 2018 season, and helped lead the Ravens to the playoffs six times; during his tenure in Baltimore, the Ravens won the AFC North twice, appeared in three AFC Championship Games, and beat the San Francisco 49ers to win Super Bowl XLVII following the 2012 season.
Flacco was named Super Bowl XLVII’s MVP, concluding a postseason run in which he tied Joe Montana’s single postseason record for touchdown passes (11) without an interception. That off-season, he signed a six-year contract worth $120.6 million, a record high for a quarterback at the time.
By the late 2010s, Flacco’s performance began to decline, and he was eventually traded to the Denver Broncos in 2019 after a hip injury caused him to lose his starting position to Lamar Jackson.
A neck injury eight games into the 2019 season ended his playing year prematurely, and he was released by the Broncos after the team chose to start Drew Lock. He subsequently joined the New York Jets to back up Sam Darnold before becoming a starter for the Jets.
As of the 2021 NFL season, Flacco has the most career passing yards and touchdowns of any quarterback who has never been to a Pro Bowl. Flacco is also known for having one of the strongest arms in the NFL.
On October 25, 2021, the Eagles traded Flacco back to the Jets for a conditional sixth-round draft pick, after Jets starting quarterback Zach Wilson suffered a knee injury.
Flacco served as a backup to Mike White and Josh Johnson for his first three games back with the Jets, coming into the Week 10 game against the Buffalo Bills in relief of White.
He completed all three of his pass attempts for 47 yards and a touchdown. On November 17, 2021, Flacco was named the starting quarterback for the Jets Week 11 game against the Miami Dolphins.
He was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list by the Jets on November 23 as close contact with White, who tested positive for COVID-19. Flacco was activated on November 30. On March 16, 2022, Flacco re-signed with the Jets for one year and $3.5 million.