The New York Jets reportedly will start veteran quarterback Joe Flacco in Week 18 against the Miami Dolphins.
Zach Wilson will serve as Flacco’s backup in the game, while Mike White is out for the Jets.
Joe Flacco is starting this week, per source. Zach Wilson will be No. 2. #Jets
Mike White is out.
— Zack Rosenblatt (@ZackBlatt) January 6, 2023
The Jets were eliminated from playoff contention after losing to the Seattle Seahawks in Week 17, and it’s a bit of a curious decision to go with Flacco since the team has nothing to play for.
Wilson has struggled for most of the 2022 season, but the team could have at least seen the No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft get some more reps before heading into the offseason.
The Dolphins are in a tough spot in Week 18, as they’ve lost five straight games to fall into the No. 8 spot in the AFC. Miami would make the playoffs with a win against the Jets and a loss from the New England Patriots on Sunday.
The Patriots, who have a better record against AFC East teams than the Dolphins, have the tiebreaker between the two teams. New England takes on the Buffalo Bills in the final week of the regular season.
Miami might start quarterback Skylar Thompson in Week 18, as Tua Tagovailoa and Teddy Bridgewater are both dealing with injuries. That’s less than ideal for the Dolphins, but the seventh-round draft pick has played on multiple occasions so far this season.
Flacco, who came into the season as the Jets’ starting quarterback with Wilson injured, has appeared in four games this season, making three starts.
The veteran won a Super Bowl MVP with the Baltimore Ravens earlier in his career, but he isn’t the same player at this stage of his NFL journey. Flacco has led the Jets to a 1-2 record in his three starts this season.
In four games, he’s thrown for 902 yards, five touchdowns and three interceptions while completing 58.2 percent of his passes.
The Dolphins are certainly hoping that they can make things tough on Flacco and pull out a win in Week 18 to keep their playoff hopes alive.
Even though the Dolphins don’t control their own destiny, the Bills are playing for the No. 1 seed in the AFC, so they should be ready to go against the Patriots this week.
