The Jets could have done much worse than Joe Flacco, in the aftermath of Aaron Rodgers rupturing his Achilles tendon on the fourth snap of the 2023 season, and they certainly have after rolling the dice on Zach Wilson, Tim Boyle, and Trevor Siemian in Rodgers' place.
Flacco, meanwhile, has the Cleveland Browns in the midst of a three-game winning streak and on the doorstep of securing an AFC Playoff berth.
Given the fact that Flacco was in the Jets' building for three seasons from 2020 through 2022, it would have made some logical sense for New York to reach out to the 38-year-old to provide some stability on an offense that has struggled mightily in Rodgers' absence. Instead, Flacco revealed recently, his phone never rang from a 973 area code.
"Is what it is," Flacco said, via Zac Jackson of The Athletic. "Happy to be where I am for sure. Lots of guys in that locker room I respect. . . . The only reason it crossed my mind is because people asked me, 'Hey, are the Jets gonna call you?'"
Flacco will get the chance to show what a mistake general manager Joe Douglas and head coach Robert Saleh made, by standing pat and sticking with Wilson, when the Browns host the Jets on Thursday night.
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In four starts for the Browns this season, Flacco has completed 59.4 percent of his passes for 1,307 yards with 10 touchdowns to seven interceptions. Meanwhile, Wilson has passed for 2,271 yards with eight touchdowns to seven interceptions in his 12 starts, including being benched multiple times.
With just two games remaining, and the Jets already having been eliminated from playoff contention, it is easy to wonder what might have been had New York reached out to Flacco at some point this season.
