Joe Flacco

John Harbaugh Won’t Commit To Joe Flacco As Starter

Just when the Ravens’ season was on the line and they were on the verge of being eliminated from the playoff race, they responded with two straight wins. With Joe Flacco sidelined with a hip injury, rookie Lamar Jackson slid in as the starter and beat the Bengals and Raiders in his first two career starts. Now Ravens coach John Harbaugh isn’t ready to commit to Flacco getting his job back when he’s healthy, according to Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com.

Whether the decision has been made or not, it’s not important for anybody to know but us. If I decide to do it one way or another, I don’t want our opponent to know. So, I’m probably not going to announce it for obvious reasons, just to make it tough for our opponent” Harbaugh was quote as saying.

If Harbaugh was going to give Flacco the job back, he probably would’ve continued to say as much, and the fact that he was so non-committal would seem to indicate he’d prefer to stick with Jackson. It would be pretty hard for Harbaugh to take it away from Jackson now, so we should probably tentatively expect to continue to see Jackson make starts.

Harbaugh isn’t in any position to play for the future, so whatever decision he makes will be the one he feels like gives the team the best chance to win. Harbaugh is on an extremely hot seat, and it was reported earlier today that Ravens players were expecting him to be fired if the team didn’t make the playoffs. Jackson has flashed electrifying talent, but has also struggled as a passer at time. They’ve won both his starts, but they’ve come against two of the worst defenses in the league. It’s possible the team will go back to Flacco as they prepare to play a much tougher slate of defenses, but it’s also looking highly possible that we’ve seen the end of the Joe Flacco-era in Baltimore.

Ravens Notes: Flacco, Suggs, Harbaugh

Quarterback Joe Flacco is expected to return to practice on Tuesday, per Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports (Twitter link). Of course, first-round rookie Lamar Jackson is getting his second consecutive start today as Flacco deals with a hip injury, and if Jackson can lead Baltimore to a win over Oakland this afternoon, La Canfora suggests that he could keep the starting job even if Flacco proves that he is healthy.

Now for more out of Charm City:

  • Ageless linebacker Terrell Suggs indicated back in May that 2018 would not be his last season in the league, but it is his last season under contract with the Ravens. La Canfora confirms that Suggs fully intends to continue playing, but given that the Ravens are transitioning to a new GM and are potentially parting ways with fellow stalwarts Flacco and John Harbaugh at the end of the season, it seems they will let Suggs test the market for the first time in his career. Suggs is still playing at a fairly high level and has adamantly asserted that he wants to finish his career in Baltimore, and that is certainly not out of the question in light of his continued strong performance. But other teams will finally get a crack at him first.
  • Speaking of Harbaugh, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com says that the 11th-year head coach would be one of the top three candidates for the expected head coaching vacancy at USC (Twitter link). It is unclear if the Trojans — who are also interested in Penn State coach James Franklin and free agent Jack Del Rio — would wait for Harbaugh to finish his season, but if so, he could join brother Jim Harbaugh in the collegiate ranks.
  • We have heard that the Ravens and John Harbaugh are headed for a parting of the ways at the end of the season, and Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk says that Baltimore players expect Harbaugh to be gone unless the team qualifies for the playoffs. Of course, as Florio notes, Harbaugh will immediately garner plenty of interest from other NFL clubs in need of a head coach, and, as noted above, perhaps at least one blue blood college team.
  • The Ravens activated CB Maurice Canady from IR yesterday and cut offensive lineman Hroniss Grasu in a corresponding move.

AFC Rumors: Sanders, Slauson, Ravens, Jets

Following in the footsteps of Plaxico Burress, Emmanuel Sanders has thrived after leaving the Steelers. Pittsburgh’s permitted many of its wideout finds to depart over the years, prioritizing only long-term partnerships with Hines Ward and Antonio Brown this century. In advance of the latest Broncos-Steelers game, Sanders said (via the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review’s Chris Adamski) Mike Tomlin told him prior to 2014 free agency the Steelers “didn’t have the money to pay me.” Denver added Sanders to a $5MM-per-year accord then extended him two years later.

The Steelers have let Sanders, Mike Wallace, Santonio Holmes, Martavis Bryant and Antwaan Randle-El go either after the wideouts’ rookie deals expired or, in Bryant’s case, trading him away. But Pittsburgh continues to find wideout talent, with JuJu Smith-Schuster being the latest such discovery. After an injury-plagued 2017, Sanders (763 receiving yards) is on pace for his fourth 1,000-yard season in five years with the Broncos. He’s signed through 2019. Despite a $10.15MM base salary next year, the 31-year-old pass-catcher may be in line to play out his contract. The Broncos traded Demaryius Thomas, with Courtland Sutton waiting in the wings, but don’t have an obvious Sanders replacement lined up just yet.

Here’s the latest from the AFC on this NFC-only Thanksgiving:

  • It doesn’t sound like Matt Slauson has immediate retirement plans, despite suffering a scary back injury, Zak Keefer of the Indianapolis Star notes. The first-year Colts lineman has contributed plenty to the cause despite being sidelined for much of this year, with Keefer noting he’s helped Indianapolis’ younger linemen. The Colts haven’t allowed Andrew Luck to be sacked in 214 straight pass attempts; that’s the longest since the Redskins kept Mark Rypien upright for 252 straight pass plays during the franchise’s 1991 Super Bowl season. Slauson continues to work out with teammates but is 32 and only signed through 2018.
  • Both Joe Flacco and Alex Collins missed the Ravens‘ Thanksgiving practice, per Jonas Shaffer of the Baltimore Sun. Flacco has not practiced since suffering the hip injury that has him sidelined. He’s expected to miss at least one more week, giving Lamar Jackson another audition opportunity. Collins played last week but has dealt with a foot injury throughout the season, per Shaffer.
  • Signs continue to point to Josh McCown receiving another Jets start. Sam Darnold did not participate in team drills Thursday, missing a second straight day of such work, according to the Associated Press. The rookie starter suited up Wednesday for the first time since straining his right foot but did not throw a pass in individual drills. McCown appears to be in line to face the Patriots, with Todd Bowles indicating (via the New York Post’s George Willis) the team will err on the side of caution. So, unless Darnold makes some significant strides by Friday, he’ll likely rest for at least one more week.

North Notes: Ravens, Flacco, Lions, Bengals

Lamar Jackson will likely start at least one more game for the Ravens, as Baltimore head coach John Harbaugh told reporters that Joe Flacco will be hard-pressed to return from injury in Week 12, per Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic (Twitter link). Flacco has been dealing with a hip issue since Week 9, and while he’s not expected to require surgery, the veteran signal-caller did see a specialist in New York last week. Further complicating matters is Jackson’s performance in Sunday’s win over the Bengals, which vaulted Baltimore back into wild card contention. Jackson, the 32nd overall selection in this year’s draft, attempted only 19 passes against Cincinnati, but rushed 27 times for 117 yards in a 24-21 victory. Harbaugh and the rest of the Ravens’ decision-makers could opt to roll with Jackson as the club finishes out the season against the Raiders, Falcons, Chiefs, Buccaneers, Chargers, and Browns.

Here’s more from the NFL’s two North divisions:

  • Although he’ll undergo an MRI before getting any official diagnosis, Lions running back Kerryon Johnson isn’t believed to have torn his ACL on Sunday, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Instead, Johnson is believed to have suffered a knee sprain. While a sprain wouldn’t knock Johnson out for the remainder of the season, it could put his availability for Week 12 in serious doubt. That’s especially true given that Detroit is facing a short turnaround, as they’ll face the Bears in a Thanksgiving Day matchup. Johnson has managed 5.4 yards per carry on 118 attempts so far during his rookie season, and also ranks seventh in Football Outsiders’ success rate, meaning he’s effective at keeping the Lions’ offense on schedule. If Johnson is out on Thursday, Detroit would use a committee of LeGarrette Blount, Theo Riddick, and Zach Zenner.
  • The Bengals are paying former Browns head coach Hue Jackson $250K while he serves as a special assistant to head coach Marvin Lewis for the rest of the season, per Rapoport (Twitter link). However, Jackson had offset language in his contract with Cleveland, so Cincinnati will essentially get his services at no cost, while the Browns will see their bill lessened. Jackson is expected to focus on the defensive side of the ball in Cincinnati, and reports on Sunday indicated he could even take over defensive play-calling later this year.
  • In case you missed it, the Bengals are expected to see the return of receiver A.J. Green in Week 12. Green suffered a toe injury against the Buccaneers in Week 8 and hasn’t played since.

AFC North Notes: Ravens, Bengals, Bell

It could be the dawn of a new era in Baltimore. As expected, 2018 first-round pick Lamar Jackson will get his first start under center for the Ravens today in place of an ailing Joe Flacco, as Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com writes. However, ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets that Flacco is not expected to need surgery on his hip, so while his status for next week’s contest against the Raiders is up in the air, he could be ready for the stretch run. But if Jackson performs well and can keep the Ravens’ playoff hopes alive, head coach John Harbaugh — who is facing the end of his tenure in Baltimore — will have a very difficult decision to make. Jackson has reportedly shown considerable improvement in practice this week, and anticipation for his debut is running high.

Now for more from the AFC North:

  • It’s not just Flacco and Harbaugh who could be seeing their Ravens careers draw to a close. As Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic writes, today’s game feels like a last stand of sorts for a number of players. If Baltimore loses, it will be all but eliminated from playoff contention, and as the team transitions to a new GM and possibly a new head coach, veterans like Flacco, Terrell Suggs, C.J. Mosley, and Michael Crabtree could all be on their way out.
  • Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that Bengals WR A.J. Green, who is inactive today, did at least travel with the team and worked out this morning. That suggests he could be ready to return next week.
  • We learned earlier this week that new Bengals assistant Hue Jackson won’t have a role in the team’s offense, but the defense is a different story. Tom Pelissero and Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network report that Jackson is spending all of his time on the defensive side of the ball, and Garafolo suggests that Jackson could become Cincinnati’s defensive play-caller in a few weeks (Twitter links). Right now, head coach Marvin Lewis is still making the defensive calls, but Jackson has been present for the defensive meetings and is bringing a spark and excitement to that unit.
  • Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports says the Steelers made an eleventh hour push to get Le’Veon Bell to rejoin the team before last Tuesday’s deadline. They reportedly outlined the significant role they had in mind for him for the remainder of the season, and they made it clear that they wanted him back. They also made him aware that they intend to use the transition tag on him this offseason, but Bell simply had no interest in playing in 2018.
  • In a separate piece, La Canfora examines the free agent market for Bell. Many GMs and cap experts believe Bell overplayed his hand, as does former NFL agent Joel Corry (Twitter link). But as Corry points out, it only takes one team to give Bell the money he wants and to make him and his agent look quite savvy, and Rapoport indicates that the market for Bell’s services could be more vibrant than many expect (video link). Rapoport says Bell is looking for a front-loaded five-year, $85MM pact, and he suggests that may not be a huge stretch given the number of cash-flush teams that could be in play for him.
  • We learned earlier today that the Browns are interested in interviewing former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice for their head coaching job at the end of the season, though GM John Dorsey has released a statement quelling that rumor.

Joe Flacco Doubtful For Week 11

Entering a key AFC North game, the Ravens have a decision to make. They listed Joe Flacco as doubtful going into Sunday’s game against the Bengals, putting the team to a probable Lamar Jackson-or-Robert Griffin III choice.

Flacco’s been dealing with a hip injury since Baltimore’s Week 9 loss to Pittsburgh. The veteran quarterback was spotted on crutches last week and has not practiced this week. Jackson didn’t practice on Thursday because of an illness, and a “legitimate possibility” exists of an RG3 start, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com notes (video link). Jackson did return to practice Friday.

John Harbaugh said Friday his starter may still play, but not practicing all week is not a good indication that will happen, Flacco’s toughness notwithstanding.

The Ravens have wanted to get Jackson involved more. Regardless of Flacco’s Sunday status, Jackson will play more. Not knowing how much obviously will make game-planning difficult for the Bengals in advance of this pivotal matchup. Griffin outplayed Jackson, viewed as a raw passer coming into the draft, during the preseason.

Griffin, though, has not played since the 2016 season. As Jackson’s been used sparingly in certain packages, Griffin’s represented roster depth. That hasn’t been needed in Baltimore since Flacco tore his ACL in 2015. The 11-year starter battled a back injury last season but did not miss any time as a result.

Griffin started five games for the 2016 Browns, being the first-unit passer in that team’s only win. Out of football last season and benched throughout 2015 in order to protect the Redskins against a potential fifth-year option vesting, Griffin’s thrown just five touchdown passes since the end of the 2013 season.

AFC North Notes: Harbaugh, Flacco, Green

We learned last week that Ravens HC John Harbaugh is on the hot seat, and the team’s Week 9 loss to the division-rival Steelers did not do him any favors. Today, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports writes that Baltimore and Harbaugh are indeed heading for a “mutual parting of the ways.” While it is highly unlikely that Harbaugh will be fired before the end of the season — there is, after all, no dysfunction in the locker room and there are no obvious in-house candidates to replace Harbaugh — La Canfora says that 2018 is likely to be Harbaugh’s last on the Ravens’ sidelines. With the team transitioning to a new GM and facing a potential roster overhaul, both parties appear prepared to move on amicably.

Now for more from the AFC North:

  • One name who could be part of the Ravens‘ above-referenced overhaul, of course, is quarterback Joe Flacco. Flacco is battling a hip injury and has been spotted on crutches, though Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network describes the injury as more of a day-to-day malady than a week-to-week one (video link). So if Flacco can practice when the Ravens return to the field in a couple of days — they are on a bye this week — he will likely play. But Rapoport says Baltimore is “relishing” the uncertainty that the situation is creating for the team’s next opponent, the Bengals, and he expects first-round pick Lamar Jackson to get increased snaps whether Flacco plays or not.
  • As Adam Schefter of ESPN.com observes, Flacco’s injury does have a silver lining for the Ravens. If he is unable to suit up for next week’s game or for the next several games, Baltimore would have a better idea of where Jackson is at the moment — he is reportedly still struggling in practice — which would allow the club to better determine whether to retain Flacco in 2019 or move on.
  • Rapoport tweets that Bengals WR A.J. Green is “likely” to miss next week’s game against the Ravens, though there is a chance he will be able to suit up. That is a rosier outlook than the one presented by Schefter, who said earlier this week that Green will definitely miss the Ravens game and could miss multiple games after that. Schefter doubled down on that report today, saying that a December return is looking increasingly likely (Twitter link). Rapoport says 2018 seventh-rounder Auden Tate, who was waived last month but who was signed to the practice squad just one day later, has impressed and will see plenty of snaps in Green’s absence. Tate was promoted from the practice squad on Monday.
  • Although reports have suggested that the Browns will take a different approach to their head coach hiring process this time around, their are plenty of people in the coaching community who are still concerned about how the search will play out. La Canfora writes that team owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam do not have a good reputation in coaching circles, and they have been increasingly hands-on during their ownership, so it is fair to wonder whether GM John Dorsey will truly be running the show. There is even skepticism within the Browns’ organization that Dorsey will be given full autonomy, as the Haslams hired Hue Jackson over the protestations of almost all of their football operations staff, which wanted to hire Sean McDermott instead.
  • We learned earlier today that the Steelers are likely to put the transition tag on Le’Veon Bell, and we took another look at Bell’s future in the league.

Extra Points: Giants, 49ers, Flacco, Ravens, Titans, Trade Deadline,

Fires are raging through California right now, and they could wind up having an impact on the NFL slate this week. The Rams’ practice facility is very close to some of the fires, but their game against the Seahawks is expected to go on without interruption. That may not be the case for the 49ers, who host the Giants on Monday night.

“Postponement of Monday night’s game against the Giants could potentially happen”, according to Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk. According to Florio, 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan acknowledged that postponement or relocation were very real possibilities, and said the team had to cut practice short on Friday because of the air quality. It’s a situation that bears watching over the course of the weekend.

Here’s more from around the league:

  • It was reported earlier this week that Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco was dealing with a mysterious hip injury, and now we have some more concerning news. Flacco has reportedly been spotted on crutches, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link), a sign that the injury is pretty serious. Whatever Flacco is dealing with, it clearly isn’t something minor and he should be considered very likely to miss games at this point.
  • The Titans ultimately stood pat at the trade deadline, but it wasn’t for a lack of trying. Tennessee’s front office “was in on a lot of guys”, including receiver Amari Cooper, according to Jim Wyatt of Titansonline.com. Wyatt writes that the team “inquired about several receivers“, but balked at the draft pick compensation that was being asked for. It’s interesting but not surprising, considering the Titans have a pretty thin receiving corp, especially since tight end Delanie Walker was lost for the season.
  • In case you missed it, the Colts’ second round pick Tyquan Lewis will make his NFL debut tomorrow after he was activated from injured reserve yesterday.

Joe Flacco Dealing With Hip Injury

As the Ravens attempt to vie for a playoff berth, they may have an issue at quarterback. Joe Flacco‘s now dealing with a hip injury, according to The Athletic’s Jeff Zreibec. Flacco’s status for next week’s game is in jeopardy, Zreibec reports (subscription required).

Currently in their bye week, the Ravens are ramping up Lamar Jackson for a possible Week 11 starting debut. Flacco is seeking medical opinions, per Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports, who adds Baltimore’s course of action may not be known until next week (Twitter links). But it may well be trending in the direction of Jackson moving into a starting role for the time being.

Zreibec reports Flacco suffered this injury on the Ravens’ sixth offensive play against the Steelers last week. Flacco played through the issue last week and was seen limping in the locker room postgame. The Ravens are obviously concerned their longtime starter won’t be able to take the snaps next week.

Jackson has taken snaps this season in specialty packages, as an admittedly uninspired Flacco lines up at wide receiver, but has only attempted 12 passes. The 2016 Heisman Trophy winner completed seven of those. He’s run for 139 yards on 28 carries.

The rookie was not viewed to be as refined of a passing prospect as the four other quarterbacks drafted in the first round, and the Ravens were not looking at promoting Jackson yet. However, La Canfora notes they do want to see more of the Louisville product. That may well happen soon. Home games against the Bengals and Raiders represent the next assignments on the Ravens’ schedule.

Flacco has missed just six starts in an 11-year career. All of those came in 2015 due to a torn ACL.

AFC Notes: Ravens, Flacco, Brady, Jets

Receiver Breshad Perriman has disappointed since being selected in the first round of the 2015 draft. In three seasons with the Ravens, the 24-year-old has hauled in only 43 receptions for 576 yards and three touchdowns. Considering his lack of production and the team’s depth at his position, Perriman understands that this is a make-or-break year.

“It’s a scary topic,” he told Edward Lee of The Baltimore Sun. “You know what’s on the line; you know that everything is on the line. It’s kind of like a make-or-break year, but at the same time, you can’t put that extra pressure on yourself. So I just really want to go out there and get better every day and control what you can control. Go out there and get better every day and go hard and everything will play out.”

The Ravens signed three free agent receivers in Michael Crabtree, John Brown and Willie Snead, and the also drafted a pair of wideouts in Jaleel Scott and Jordan Lasley. Naturally, Perriman recognizes that he’ll have to compete for a roster spot.

“This whole game is nothing but competition,” he said. “So it’s basically just the same thing. We all embrace it, and we all know that it’s a lot of competition. At the same time, we still want the best for each other and we still encourage each other and motivate each other. When we step out here between these lines, we’re all just trying to compete and make plays.”

Let’s take a look at some more notes from around the AFC…

  • There’s been plenty of talk about the Ravens decision to select quarterback Lamar Jackson in the first round of this past year’s draft. Agent Joe Linta told Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic that incumbent quarterback Joe Flacco had expected the organization to select a signal-caller, just not in the first round. “We talked about it many times, We knew they were going to draft somebody; I would have thought it may have been a Mason Rudolph situation,” said Linta, referring to the situation between the Steelers and Ben Roethlisberger. “But they had a guy they targeted, and they took him. They didn’t do anything wrong…A lot of people in the media have to create a controversy. No one is mad that they picked a QB. [Ravens executives] are not stupid. They want to win more than they want Joe out. You got a 33-year-old guy with two major injuries. It would be bad business for them to not have a good guy behind him.”
  • Tom Brady may have been absent from team OTAs, but it sounds like he’s going to be early for Patriots training camp. As Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com points out, Brady commented on a Patriots Instagram post stating that he’ll be showing up to training camp four days early. Brady has previously said he missed non-mandatory minicamp due to “personal reasons,” and he made an appearance at Patriots practice in early June.
  • Jets wideout Robby Anderson is set to be a restricted free agent next offseason, and Brian Costello of the New York Post says it’d be a shock if the team didn’t bring him back. However, the writer notes that the embattled 25-year-old could receive a lucrative offer from another team if he has a big 2018 season. Legal issues aside, the former undrafted free agent has looked like a starting receiver during his two years with the Jets, including a 2017 campaign where he hauled in 63 receptions for 941 yards and seven touchdowns.