Is Joe Flacco an option for the Jacksonville Jaguars?

When the Jacksonville Jaguars look at the free agent quarterbacks available in 2019, would they consider Baltimore signal caller Joe Flacco?

When NFL free agency begins, any quarterback who has not re-signed with their current team or has been traded to another franchise will be linked to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Frankly, don’t be surprised if Jacksonville is one of the most talked about teams this offseason.

With a major need at quarterback, an albatross of a contract attached to Blake Bortles and a coaching staff that may be in limbo the next three weeks, there will be plenty of rumors and conjecture surrounding the team until changes are made.

For the fans and the national media, making those changes would be better if they came sooner rather than later.

Current starter Cody Kessler figures to be part of the contingent on hand when the Jaguars open training camp next summer. Who is there with him is still a mystery? There is still a glimmer of a chance Bortles is there in a backup role, but that may do more harm than good to the chemistry of this roster.

More from Jacksonville Jaguars News

• Jacksonville Jaguars should welcome Derrick Henry into the kingdom
• Jaguars Rumors: Trent Baalke seems to be getting respect now
• Jaguars News: This division rival might be making a big move
• Former Jacksonville Jaguars S Johnathan Cyprien: “New Profession, Same Standards”
• Jacksonville Jaguars TE Evan Engram officially gets the franchise tag: 3 takeaways

The Jaguars have already been linked to Teddy Bridgewater since the offseason as well as Tyrod Taylor. Both could be on the team’s radar prior to the NFL Draft in April. There are others to consider – possibly a trade involving Nick Foles [pure speculation]. Eli Manning and even Jameis Winston have been mentioned as possible targets for the 2019 roster.

One name that FanSided writer Brad Berreman mentioned is Joe Flacco, who has now become the backup in Baltimore to Lamar Jackson. Does he fit the profile as the bridge quarterback to Jacksonville’s future?

"“The Jaguars seem ready to give up the ghost on Blake Bortles, benching him for Cody Kessler as a highly disappointing season winds down,” he writes."

Flacco was a first-round draft pick of the Ravens in 2008, the same draft that produced Matt Ryan in Atlanta. He led the Ravens to a win in Super Bowl  XLVII, 34-31 over the San Francisco 49ers. Since then, he has been an enigma of sorts, signing a six-year contract worth $120.6 million but never living up to the expectations that come with being paid as of the best quarterbacks in the league.

The question is whether Flacco would be willing to start the season as the starter and potentially give way to a rookie in waiting or start for a season and then do the same thing? Is he the type of player, much like Chad Henne, who will work with the starter to make them a better on the field?

"Berreman also points out that, “If the #Jaguars release Blake Bortles prior to June 1st they’ll take on a $16.5M dead cap hit for 2019, the largest single hit in history (though up to $6.5M of it can be offset should he sign elsewhere).”"

Jacksonville could have had Bridgewater prior to the start of the season when he was with the New York Jets. At the time, New York was looking to acquire Dante Fowler, Jr. who was traded to the Los Angeles Rams for draft picks.