Zach Wilson is up against the clock when it comes to his recovery from arthroscopic knee surgery, meaning Joe Flacco has a strong chance to be the Jets’ starting quarterback in Week 1.
Does that mean Flacco sees an opportunity to prove himself as the team’s starter and take over a starting job for the long haul?
“I’m not going in with that kind of mindset necessarily,” Flacco told Carton and Roberts at Jets camp on Friday. “It’s always an opportunity when you take the field in the NFL.
“Obviously I want to go out there and win games for this football team. That’s my role. But when Zach gets healthy, he’s gonna be the quarterback. That doesn’t mean that I don’t want to play football down the road and continue to play football. Any time you go out there on the field, it’s an opportunity to play the best you can and show the world that you can still play this game at a high level.”
Evan then asked if Flacco would be angered if he were to come out and lead the Jets to a strong start to the season, only to make way for Wilson whenever he is cleared to play.
“Listen, I’ve already dealt with being pissed off at the fact that I’m relegated to a backup role,” Flacco said. “I’ve already dealt with that in my head and have come out here and done the best I can to be a team player and play my role the best I can.
I know what that is.
“Obviously as a competitor you have feelings and things like that, but you have to put those aside for the team.”
Still, he will take a Week 1 start as a chance to prove himself, and that Week 1 start seems likely given the timeline of Wilson’s recovery and the caution the Jets will take with their young QB, who injured the same knee during his rookie season.
“I would not be playing football at this point in my life if I didn’t feel like I can still play,” Flacco said.
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