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Jets, Flacco agree on one-year deal

NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Jets and quarterback Joe Flacco have agreed to terms on a one-year deal, the 2013 Super Bowl MVP’s agency announced on Twitter.

The move to bring in Flacco gives third-year starter Sam Darnold a veteran backup, but one who is also coming off a herniated disk that cut short his only season in Denver and required surgery to repair.

JL Sports, headed by agent Joe Linta, announced the agreement Friday. Financial terms were not immediately disclosed, but ESPN reported the deal is worth $1.5 million and could reach $4.5 million with incentives.

The 35-year-old Flacco spent his first 11 NFL seasons in Baltimore, where current Jets general manager Joe Douglas was a scout in 2008 — when the Ravens drafted the quarterback 18th overall out of Delaware. Flacco helped lead Baltimore to a Super Bowl victory to cap the 2012 season, beating Colin Kaepernick and the San Francisco 49ers 34-31.

Flacco was rewarded by the Ravens by becoming the highest-paid quarterback in NFL history at the time with a six-year contract worth $120.6 million.

Last winter, Flacco’s time in Baltimore came to an end — officially clearing the way for Lamar Jackson — when the Ravens traded him to Denver for a fourth-round draft pick. Flacco started the first eight games for the Broncos, but injured his neck against Indianapolis in Week 8 and missed the rest of the season.

He was waived by Denver in March with a failed physical designation, but is expected to be fully recovered in time for training camp in the summer — if it goes on as scheduled with the coronavirus pandemic making uncertain any plans for the season.

With Flacco in the mix, the Jets suddenly have a crowded quarterbacks room that includes Darnold, David Fales, Mike White and James Morgan, who was drafted in the fourth round as a developmental arm out of FIU.

But the need for a veteran backup for Darnold was magnified last season when the quarterback missed three games with mononucleosis.

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