INDIANAPOLIS, IN – OCTOBER 27: Denver Broncos quarterback Joe Flacco (5) signals to the sidelines during the NFL game between the Denver Broncos and the Indianapolis Colts on October 27, 2019 at Lucas Oil Stadium, in Indianapolis, IN. (Photo by Zach Bolinger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Facing an extended absence anyway, Joe Flacco (neck) was placed on IR by the Denver Broncos on Friday.
After last Sunday’s loss to the Indianapolis Colts, Joe Flacco was critical of his coaches. On Monday, coincidentally or not since he was seen on the sideline being worked on, a neck injury diagnosis surfaced. Facing a 4-6 week absence anyway with a bulging disc in his neck, Flacco was placed on season-ending IR Friday.
Flacco was the latest acquisition by Broncos’ general manager John Elway to address a need at quarterback. And not surprisingly, the former Super Bowl MVP averaged less than 228 passing yards per game this season with six touchdowns and five interceptions for the 2-6 Broncos.
With rookie Drew Lock not yet deemed ready to play, health-wise after a preseason thumb injury, Brandon Allen will make his first NFL start for Denver on Sunday against the Cleveland Browns. Rookie Brett Rypien will be promoted from the practice squad to be the No. 2 quarterback. The three current Broncos’ quarterbacks have exactly zero regular-season pass attempts between them on their resumes heading into Sunday’s game. (This is where you go to your fantasy football waiver wire and add the Browns’ defense as a Week 9 streamer.)
If not for his neck injury, Flacco’s level of play would have eventually put him on the bench when Lock is ready to go. The Broncos aren’t going anywhere this season, so trotting out an incapable veteran signal-caller would have reached a point of not being worthwhile.
Upon getting him from the Baltimore Ravens in a trade last offseason, the Broncos restructured Flacco’s contract to lessen some of the financial burden. But he still has cap hits of $23.65 million and $27.65 million in the next two seasons, with a total dead-money hit of $23.8 million and cap savings totaling $27.5 million if he is a pre-June 1, 2020 cut.
The financials do feel pretty prohibitive. But Flacco’s 2019 season is over, and his time with the Broncos is almost surely over too.