It really does not qualify as breaking news that Philadelphia Eagles backup quarterback Joe Flacco is no longer starting quarterback material.
It seems as though the NFL figured this out in recent years.
He has not played a complete season since 2017.
At 36 years of age, he is a 13-year veteran in the league.
11 of those years were with the Baltimore Ravens.
His finest season was in 2012 when he led the Ravens to the Super Bowl victory over the San Francisco 49ers and earned Super Bowl MVP honors also.
Here are two main reasons why Flacco’s skills are best utilized in a backup or emergency capacity.
2. He Is Not Mobile
Chase Winovich (@Wino) gets the blocker to shoot his hands/freeze his feet off the jab step. Winovich then dips/rips & gets to Flacco for the sack! #passrush #gopats #NEvsPHI pic.twitter.com/hCv9iHDKRs
— DLineVids (@dlinevids1) August 20, 2021
To be fair, even in his younger years, Flacco was not very mobile.
He rushed for a career high 180 yards in his rookie season.
The veteran only has 16 rushing touchdowns in 13 NFL seasons.
As the years pass, Flacco has become even less mobile.
Matthew Judon greets his old friend Joe Flacco with a strip sack in a 2021 preseason game where one is a member of the Patriots and the other is an Eagle.
Times have changed. pic.twitter.com/UJU7PEd4Bw
— Bobby Trosset (@bobbywbal) August 19, 2021
1. His Skills Are Not What They Once Were
Are you at all concerned about the QB2 position after Joe Flacco’s performance last night? #Eagles pic.twitter.com/sKpkQVWY84
— Eagles Nation (@PHLEaglesNation) August 20, 2021
Flacco led those Ravens teams with his arm.
He has nearly 41,000 passing yards and 224 touchdowns.
In his younger days, Flacco seemed to handle the big moments well; he was at his best in the playoffs.
He looks like a shadow of his former self out on the field.
Those Are Not His Biggest Problems
All quarterbacks age so what is happening to Flacco is not unusual.
His biggest problem is that he is the backup quarterback for the Eagles.
To begin with, Eagles fans are among the most passionate and brutal.
Flacco will be in hot water with the fans and the city if he needs to lead this team for a long duration.
Secondly, the Eagles fans had a backup quarterback named Nick Foles win a Super Bowl (and Super Bowl MVP).
Their usually high expectations are even higher because of their past experience.
It already has happened, by the way, with social media outcries to trade for Foles and to demote Flacco.
Eagles must trade for Nick Foles and demote Joe Flacco, ASAP | Marcus Hayes https://t.co/tV4wcpC5Py
— Philadelphia Inquirer Sports (@phillysport) August 20, 2021
The Eagles Have Big Problems With Flacco Too
We know what Flacco’s problems are, but the Eagles also have problems with this relationship.
The offense under Flacco is completely different than what it is under starting quarterback Jalen Hurts.
Hurts is the epitome of mobility, speed, and youth.
Talk about two different playbooks.
The other problem the Eagles have is that Flacco does not appear to be motivated to mentor Hurts.
He did not mince words when asked if Eagles coach Nick Siriani talked with him about this.
“We didn’t really talk about that too much. … Right now, I’m here to play, to play a part in the role of a 53-man roster that wants to win a lot of football games. Obviously, I’m a competitor … and being a competitor brings out the best in a room anyway, and brings out the best in a football team. So that’s really the conversation that we’ve had at this point.”
It really is not clear yet why the Eagles chose Flacco as their backup for 2021; it will be interesting to watch how this goes if Flacco sees significant playing time.
NEXT: Eagles Won't Have Success In 2021 Without A Healthy Jalen Hurts