Eagles Sign Joe Flacco to be Jalen Hurts' Backup

The Eagles signed the South Jersey native to help mentor Jalen Hurts

PHILADELPHIA - The Eagles have signed South Jersey native Joe Flacco to backup Jalen Hurts at quarterback.

Flacco’s agent, Joe Linta, confirmed the deal which is believed to be for one-year and $3.5 million guaranteed with an additional $4M in incentives that the veteran could earn with playing time.

Joe Flacco’s deal with Philly includes $3.5 million guaranteed and an additional $4 million in incentives, per source

— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) March 23, 2021

Flacco attended Audubon High School in South Jersey before committing to the University of Pittsburgh and then transferring to Delaware where he became a star and turned into an NFL first-round pick, No. 18 overall in the 2008 draft to the Baltimore Ravens.

Now 36, Flacco was a long-time starter in Baltimore - from his rookie season in 2008 until midway through the 2018 season when he was replaced by current Ravens star Lamar Jackson.

Flacco led the Ravens to a Super Bowl XLVII championship over the San Francisco 49ers after the 2012 season, won 10-or-more games five times, and perhaps most impressively won at least one playoff game in five consecutive seasons (2008-12) and six of seven when you add in 2014.

In all, Flacco spent 11 seasons with Baltimore and played the last two seasons with Denver and the New York Jets, starting eight games with the Broncos in 2019 and four with the Jets last season.

Known as "Joe Cool" for his unflappable demeanor, Flacco won 10 postseason games with the Ravens and was at one time the highest-paid QB in the NFL after winning the big game but his career turned south after tearing his ACL during the 2015 season. He also suffered a neck injury that derailed his one campaign in Denver but was able to prove he was healthy in 2020 with the Jets as the backup to Sam Darnold.

Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie had reportedly instructed his personnel department to build up around Hurts and not consider taking a QB at No. 6 overall in the 2021 draft, something which could potentially derail the second-year starter.

A veteran presence will not only help Hurts but also a young coaching staff including first-time head coach Nick Sirianni and QB coach Brian Johnson, who is two years younger than Flacco.

In his 13 NFL seasons, Flacco has won nearly 100 games as a starter (98-77), thrown for more than 40,000 yards (40,931) with 224 touchdowns vs. 144 interceptions.

Eagles vice president of player personnel Andy Weidl was with the Ravens until moving to Philadelphia in 2016.

Flacco was the first free-agent QB the Eagles have expressed public interest in, but they had also been linked to Nick Foles for a potential third reunion. Foles remains on the Chicago roster but the Bears are believed to be shopping him after signing Andy Dalton to be the starter.

There are also persistent rumors that the Eagles are at least keeping an eye on superstar Deshaun Watson, who really wants out of Houston.

Acquiring Watson would take a haul as far as draft capital and potentially Hurts going back to Houston but any move has also been recently complicated by a host of serious civil accusations against the former Clemson star.

John McMullen contributes Eagles coverage for SI.com's EagleMaven and is the NFL Insider for JAKIB Media. You can listen to John every Monday and Thursday on The Middle with Eytan Shander, Harry Mayes, former Eagles OT Barrett Brooks streaming live on both PhillyVoice.com and SportsMap Radio. John is also the host of his own show "Extending the Play" on AM1490 in South Jersey. You can reach him at jmcmullen44@gmail.com or on Twitter @JFMcMullen

Ed Kracz is the publisher of SI.com’s EagleMaven. Check out the latest Eagles news at www.SI.com/NFL/Eagles and please follow him on Twitter: @kracze.

READ MORE ON ANTHONY HARRIS PRESS CONFERENCE: Versatile Anthony Harris Teaming up Again with Rodney ...