Joe Flacco joins AFC East: Jets agree to deal with old Patriots foe

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Joe Flacco is most certainly not elite. But he reportedly landed another NFL job -- in the New England Patriots' division, no less.

The veteran quarterback has agreed to one-year contract with the New York Jets, his agent confirmed Friday. The deal is worth $1.5 million but could reach $4.5 million if he hits certain incentives, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

The Jets already have a franchise quarterback in Sam Darnold, but Flacco will compete for the backup job, per Schefter, and perhaps help mentor the 22-year-old QB.

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Flacco also could give Darnold some pointers on how to succeed against the Patriots. While the 35-year-old veteran is 3-5 all-time against New England, he's the only QB not named Manning to beat Bill Belichick's Patriots more than once in the postseason. (2009 Wild Card Round and 2012 AFC Championship Game with the Baltimore Ravens).

Flacco threw three touchdown passes and zero interceptions in that 2012 AFC title game and also has a 92.0 passer rating against New England over five regular season games with nine TD passes.

That's not to say he'll give the Jets some magic formula to defeat the Patriots, who have won the teams' last eight meetings. He's also recovering from neck surgery and likely won't be cleared for play until September, per Schefter.

But Jets general manager Joe Douglas was a Ravens scout when Baltimore drafted Flacco back in 2008, and he apparently believes the aging QB can bring something to the Tom Brady-less AFC East.

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