Jets defensive coordinator calls Bengals' Joe Flacco a Hall of Famer

The Cincinnati Bengals and the New York Jets face each other in Week 8 of the NFL season. Both teams have losing records, but the vibes couldn't be more different.

On the Jets' side, at 0-7, the season is practically over already, first-year head coach Aaron Glenn has some questions to answer, and there's a quarterback controversy. The Bengals, meanwhile, have found their savior in Joe Flacco to keep the team alive in a playoff race.

Ahead of their Week 8 matchup, Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic shared a quote from Jets' defensive coordinator Steve Wilks, who made a bold claim that Flacco is deserving of the Hall of Fame.

Jets' DC Steve Wilks calls Bengals QB Joe Flacco a future Hall of Famer

"You can eventually put him in Canton," Wilks said of Flacco.

Steve Wilks on Joe Flacco: “You can eventually put him in Canton.”

It's lofty praise from Wilks, especially since he's been around the league for such a long time. Wilks was a coach in the NFL for the Chicago Bears, Carolina Panthers, Arizona Cardinals, Cleveland Browns, San Francisco 49ers, and now the Jets.

He's seen plenty of great quarterbacks in his time in the NFL, and while it might be some gamesmanship, his belief that Flacco is a future Hall of Famer is still strong praise.

It's an interesting case for Flacco. While he doesn't have the peak as a lot of other Hall of Fame-caliber quarterbacks, his career length and the fact that at age 40, he's still able to lead a strong offense, is something notable.

After taking over for the struggling Jake Browning, Flacco has elevated the Bengals offense significantly, so much to the point that the Bengals now can make it back into the playoff race after a 2-4 start.

More: Joe Flacco record vs. AFC North: How Bengals QB has historically performed against division rivals Browns, Steelers

While Wilk's praise is high, what are the chances of Flacco making the Hall of Fame? He's a Super Bowl champion who won Super Bowl MVP in a playoff run where he had 11 passing touchdowns and 1,140 yards and no interceptions in four games.

He's played in 202 career games, and has a 107-90 record. Since 2018, once Lamar Jackson took over in Baltimore, he's bounced around the NFL, playing for the Denver Broncos, Jets, Cleveland Browns, Indianapolis Colts, and now the Bengals.

Flacco has 47,073 career passing yards, 14th all-time in NFL history, and 264 passing touchdowns, 21st in NFL history. But in the modern era, reaching those numbers isn't as impressive as it once was. Kirk Cousins and Russell Wilson each have more touchdowns, and while Wilson might have a case, Cousins is likely not a Hall of Famer.

Flacco is a long shot for the Hall of Fame, but that doesn't mean his case isn't at least an interesting one. For Wilks, at least, he believes Flacco is deserving of the Hall of Fame.

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