Report: Patriots could pursue Flacco as bridge starter to mentor rookie QB

Report: Patriots could pursue Flacco as bridge starter to mentor rookie QB originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The New England Patriots could reportedly be in the mix for 39-year-old quarterback Joe Flacco this offseason, long time Cleveland Browns beat writer Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com reported on Thursday.

After a great comeback season with the Browns, filling in as the team’s starter after an injury sidelined Deshaun Watson, the Patriots could look to sign Flacco as their bridge starter, using him as a mentor to whichever young quarterback they select in the upcoming NFL draft.

Flacco, who hasn’t had much consistent time since leaving the Baltimore Ravens back in 2018, led the Browns to the playoffs after helping them finish the regular season out with a 4-1 record. In his five games as the starter, Flacco threw for 1,616 yards on a 60.3 percent completion rate, tallying 13 touchdowns and eight interceptions. The NFL honored Flacco’s triumphant return to the game by awarding the former Super Bowl champion as the Comeback Player of the Year.

While it may sound surprising that a team looking to rebuild wants to sign a near 40-year-old, it does make a good amount of sense. When the Patriots drafted Mac Jones in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft, the Alabama man started immediately. While he found success in his rookie year, his stats slowly started to crumble, forcing him to fall as low as the third-string spot in the New England quarterback room this past season.

In hopes to avoid a similar situation, New England could look to take a page from the Green Bay Packers’ playbook. The Packers have seemingly hit on every quarterback they’ve drafted in recent history, allowing the newly drafted quarterback to have some time on the bench learning from an older QB before getting any real playing time themselves.

In Green Bay’s most recent case, Jordan Love spent his first two seasons on the bench under Aaron Rodgers. When Love took over the starting role this…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/report-patriots-pursue-joe-flacco-022905378.html

Author : NBC Sports Boston

Publish date : 2024-03-02 02:39:32

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