Broncos QB Joe Flacco won't start Week 9 due to neck injury, could reportedly land on IR

Liz Roscher
·Staff writer
Updated

Denver Broncos quarterback Joe Flacco gave a feisty post-game news conference on Sunday after a tough Week 8 loss, but he won’t be giving one after Week 9 no matter how the game goes. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Flacco won’t be starting next week due to a neck injury.

Rapoport later reported that Flacco is expected to miss “a significant amount of time” and that injured reserve is a “serious consideration for the quarterback.

Broncos head coach Vic Fangio did not confirm the nature of the injury beyond saying it’s a “neck or disc issue.” Flacco reportedly might not need surgery, but the Broncos will still likely be without him for several games.

Brandon Allen, the only other quarterback on the active roster, will start in Flacco’s place. Rookie QB Drew Lock is still on injured reserve following surgery on the sprained thumb he sustained during a preseason game in August, but he could be activated very soon.

The Broncos want to play it safe with Lock, their 2019 second-round pick, but it’s not really clear whether he or Allen would be better in Week 9. Allen is 27, but neither he or Lock have ever thrown a pass in a regular season NFL game. We may yet see both of them this season depending on Flacco’s prognosis, which would add yet another quarterback to Elway’s ever-lengthening list of previous starters.

Joe Flacco has a neck injury and won't be starting Week 9. (Photo by Zach Bolinger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Joe Flacco has a neck injury and won't be starting Week 9. (Getty Images)

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