The Baltimore Ravens could be set to face a very familiar foe in the form of longtime starting quarterback Joe Flacco when they take on the New York Jets in Week 1.
Flacco joined the Jets in a midseason trade last year and has since served as the backup to young quarterback Zach Wilson. However, an injury to Wilson in the Jets’ first preseason game could necessitate a chance at the quarterback position.
Wilson suffered an apparent non-contact knee injury during the Jets’ Friday night preseason outing against the Philadelphia Eagles, and reports suggest that Wilson could be set to miss a chunk of time.
While early fears were that Wilson had suffered a torn ACL, the most recent update indicates that the 23-year-old may have re-injured his PCL (the same injury that sidelined him for a few weeks last season).
Even with the PCL injury, however, Wilson may still be forced to the sideline to start the season. An MRI test will confirm the exact nature of Wilson’s injury later today, but for now, it certainly seems as though Flacco may be under center against his former team come next month.
The stage is set for a Lamar Jackson vs. Joe Flacco matchup in Week 1
Flacco, of course, spent 11 years in Baltimore, leading the franchise to their second Super Bowl title in 2013. He finished his career as the Ravens’ most prolific QB in franchise history and holds pretty much every team passing record.
Since leaving Baltimore, Flacco has had stints in Denver, Philadelphia, and now New York, although he’s yet to face his former team. That could change within the coming weeks.
The stage could be set for a highly anticipated matchup between Flacco and his successor, Lamar Jackson. Flacco, of course, gave way to Jackson as the Ravens’ starter midway through the 2018 season, and the organization hasn’t looked back since.
Jackson went on to become the NFL’s second-ever unanimous MVP and looks set to be the Ravens’ quarterback for the foreseeable future.
Now, Jackson could face his longtime predecessor in a matchup for the ages. This is a situation that bears monitoring over the coming hours, days, and weeks.