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Joe Flacco didn’t sign with the Philadelphia Eagles simply to stand on the sidelines or to be a mentor for second-year quarterback Jalen Hurts.
The 36-year-old Flacco, who served as Sam Darnold’s backup last season with the Jets, says he joined his hometown team this week with the intent of competing with Hurts for playing time.
“You still want to prove to everybody on the football team … you deserve a spot on this team in some capacity,” said Flacco, who signed a one-year deal worth $3.5 million on Tuesday. “Once I meet the guys and dive into this offense, it’s going out on the field and proving to everybody that I’m not just some old guy who has been around the league and is coming to a new team.
“Obviously, I’m a competitor. I think being competitive brings out the best in a (quarterback) room anyway, and it brings out the best in a football team.”
The Eagles traded former first-round pick Carson Wentz to the Indianapolis Colts earlier this month, after he was displaced by the rookie Hurts in December for the 4-11-1 last-place Eagles.
“I think every quarterback room, guys help each other,” said Flacco, who grew up in South Jersey and played his college ball at Delaware. “That’s what we’re here for. That’s what the whole team does. So, I’m going to do my part, and we’re going to win a lot of football games. And part of that is getting in the QB room, grinding, and helping each other out.”
The 13-year NFL veteran appeared in five games (four starts) with the Jets while Darnold was injured last season, with six touchdowns and three interceptions.
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