Joe Flacco, American football player
Joseph Vincent Flacco (born January 16, 1985) is an elite 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 for any quarterback who was never in a Pro Bowl. Flacco is also known for having one of the strongest arms in the NFL.